The Art of Philophobia
by Nancie
Summary: "...Face it, you're philophobic." "Afraid of pretty girls?" Harvey said sarcastically. "Afraid of falling in love," she said softly. Harvey/OC, Mike/Rachel.
1. Vespas

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_So, to all my readers who have subscribed to me, I know you haven't heard from me since...well, you haven't heard from me at all this year. But yes, I'm back. In regards to the Batman Begins/Dark Knight story, it's being re-written due to a major story line screw-up. To all the new readers, Hello! If you're wondering why I haven't posted anything at all lately, it's because I was working on my writing style. I had gone under construction to increase my quality in writing. Hopefully, it'll be enjoyable to read._**

**_To clarify, this story will be a Harvey/OC story, yet it won't mainly focus on just that relationship. Later on in the story it will, but it will also somewhat be a Mike/Rachel story, and also other relationships between characters (not necessarily in a romantic way). But true to the television show, there will also be a focus on cases as well. Forgive me if my knowledge of the law isn't wrapped in a pretty bow, but I'm a writer, not a lawyer (unfortunately). Research can only get you so far._**

**_I'll be posting as often as I can, so hopefully you all will enjoy this story!_**

**_P.S. I do not own anything. Rights go to Aaron Korsh (the creator of Suits)_**

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><p>If there was a time where Mike Ross wished he had bought a car instead of a bicycle, it was at the moment where the tire popped off the rim of his beloved bike as he was heading to Pearson Hardman. Only <em>he<em> would have such luck. It was almost turning out to be a good day this morning; Mike happened to finally get more than 15 minutes of sleep, thanks to him looking over the bylaws, on his lunch break, of the multimillion dollar deal with Brian Dares; Brooklyn's mastermind behind the mp3 player that was as small as an engagement ring. His suit was picked up from the dry-cleaners by one of his co-workers, Max Harris, who also lived directly across from his apartment. The said neighbour had the decency to bang on his door, forcing him to wake-up and get to work early, which he would have been if his bike didn't fail him at that very moment.

The whirr of a Vespa stopped beside him with an amused look coming from the driver.

"Told you to upgrade, Mike."

The long brown hair cascaded down the driver's back from under the cherry red helmet, as the small smile showed brilliant white teeth. The hazel eyes gave a sarcastic look as the driver looked at Mike.

"Thanks for your input, Max."

Maxine Harris laughed as she grabbed her extra helmet from behind her.

"Get on. I'll drop you off a block away."

Mike Ross shook his head. Maybe he would get to work early.

Tightening his hold on his bag, he hopped onto the back of the scooter, securing himself behind his good friend. He noticed that in between her legs, she was skillfully balancing four cups of coffee, as well as a bag of pastries on top of those said cups.

"How the hell are you doing that?"

Max laughed, "_Really_ carefully."

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><p>It almost looked comical in Donna's eyes to see Mike in such a rushed state as he held more files in his hands than possible. The pile in his arms was so high he could barely see over top of them. She was waiting for the moment that someone wouldn't see where they were going, causing them to crash into the Harvard Law Graduate impersonator and make all his work rain down upon his sad self. The moment almost came, until Mike swerved out of the way just in time. Donna pouted, and continued to type at her desk as he approached his boss' office. The kid was fun to tease, but he at least got his work done. Later than Harvey would have liked, but he still got it done, and did a pretty good job on it. It was one of the reasons why she liked him, and frequently gave him a base or two to steal every now and then.<p>

"He's with Jessica. You better throw that on his desk right about now."

Mike practically flew into Harvey's office, throwing the Dares bylaws onto his desk, fully edited and proof-read. The file was five hundred and thirty three pages of utterly pure hell, and all of the bylaws passed the standards. Mike sighed, he hated it when a case was just...a case, no underlying story that would cause a scandal, or controversy within the company involved. Sometimes, the job wasn't as fabulous as he thought. But hey, that was the job.

As he was coming out, he spoke to Donna in the sweetest voice.

"Donna, my dear, you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever come across-"

"No, I will not tell Harvey that those bylaws were on his desk an hour ago."

A whine emitted from Mike's throat.

"Not even fifteen minutes ago?"

She turned to him with a smirk on her face.

"Fine."

Mike returned a more genuine smile as he turned around.

"Then I'll tell him that I've found the cure for Cancer while in Atlantis, saving the mermaids."

The young lawyer turned back to the smart secretary, only to see that she was waving her fingers in a sarcastic manor, telling him goodbye for the moment. Mike turned around carefully towards his cubicle just as Harvey Specter came into Donna's view. Donna had known her boss for just over seven years, and she knew almost instantly when her boss was in a bad mood.

"Donna, hold my calls until noon," Harvey demanded more than asked, and Donna knew that his conversation with Jessica wasn't a good one. It may have been Jessica giving Harvey a scolding for something he did, or worse. Jessica gave Harvey a pro-Bono. Donna knew that if Harvey wasn't on his game today, and being grumpy as hell, then everyone would be caught in his shit storm, and when Harvey was mad, Harvey wasn't Harvey Specter. The man himself sat in his two thousand dollar orthopedic chair ready to snap at anyone who dared showed their face in his office, when his eye caught on a folder that wasn't there when he first got into the office early. He picked it up, realizing it was the Dares bylaws that he assigned to Mike late last night, just before he left the office. He didn't think the kid was get it done, and sort of gave it to him as a test. But there it was, sitting in his hand, highlighted, tabbed, proofread and indented to the extreme. He looked to Donna, who was typing at her computer. Getting up, he walked towards his door, just sticking his head out.

"Donna?"

The strawberry blonde turned towards her boss.

"What time did you see Mike come into my office?"

Donna almost said a minute ago, but thought better if it.

"I didn't see him at all today."

Harvey's head jerked back a bit.

Donna quickly recovered, "I took a coffee run an hour ago. He must it dropped it off then."

"Would you lie to me, Donna?" Harvey said with his charming smile

She smirked, "Only if it made me richer, Harvey."

Harvey walked back towards his desk with an appreciative smirk on his face. With the folder in his hand, Harvey's day brightened, and he got his mojo back almost instantly. Maybe the kid wasn't so bad after all. Donna turned back to her computer screen, bringing up her email account. She quickly made a new message, and sent it to Mike.

'_You owe me one_', she typed.

As he clutched his hat, Oliver Klades walked slowly towards Donna's desk, hoping to not bother her, but the redhead noticed him coming from a mile away.

"Mr. Klades, this is a... surprise."

The older man nodded, pulling out a rumbled piece of paper.

"They filed an injunction," the man said, clearly sad, "They're questioning my motives, and now they want to bring me to court. What motives do I have besides trying to get some justice for my daughter? I thought Harvey would take care of this, but they keep throwing paperwork at my family!" The fifty year old began to raise his voice, causing some of the workers to temporarily stop what they were doing. Harvey took notice of the situation, walking out of his office to calm down his client.

"Oliver, calm down. Everything is going to go smoothly, no matter what. Why don't you just come to my office and we can figure this out?"

Dragging his client into his office, Harvey was giving Donna one of his looks. Donna sighed though. Oliver Klades was the underdog in a nasty sexual harassment lawsuit. His daughter, Karly, had been an assistant for Gregory Hart, the main Manhattan investor of major companies. The poor girl wouldn't give any details on the sexual harassment, but Donna remembered the girl trembled when she spoke. Either the police were blind, or she was a great actress. The trial was supposed to happen two months ago, but Hart's lawyers buried the case in paperwork, knowing that if Karly testified, they were going to have to pay her family, big time.

Donna sighed, and got back to work.

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><p><strong><em>Don't worry, it gets good.<em>**

**_Review?_**

**_xoxo N._**


	2. Steinberg Briefs

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_Just another quick update, to give you guys more to read._**

**_As you know now, another one of those relationships I was talking about was the friendship between Max and Mike. In the further chapters you'll get to see more of how they became friends, and why they are where they are. Don't worry about the Harvey/OC, it's gonna happen, I just want you guys to get to know Max a little more._**

**_Don't forget to PLEASE review! The more you review, the faster I update!_**

**_So, Enjoy!_**

**_P.S. Aaron Korsh's Suits._**

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><p>'<em>You owe me one<em>' were the words that flashed over the screen of Mike's cellphone as he received an email from Donna. Mike smiled at the little device in his hand. So Donna had ended up changing her mind. He hadn't known why, but he wasn't the one who was going to ask anymore questions.

"Oh Ross," the nasally sound that erupted from Gregory Boone had been dangerously getting closer to his cubicle. Mike looked up to see the gray suit and the horrible job that he did to slick his little-too-long hair. His cologne could have killed the plants from the fumes...and the plants were plastic.

"Whatever you have to say right now Greg, let me just tell you that I have no patience for it."

"I think you should set some time for this, Golden Boy." Greg said, waving a small card in front of Mike's computer screen. Mike hadn't really been paying attention closely to the item blocking his view of the computer, until he actually noticed the words on it: '_Pearson Hardman: Print Room_.'

Oh shit. Not again.

"The bet," Mike reminded himself in a deep breath.

"Yes, the bet where who could finish the clarification for the patent on the new cereal coming out? Well, I happened to submit mine first, and well, looks like I beat you to the punch."

He threw the card at Mike.

"Have fun with those Stienberg briefs, Mikey boy. They're due Wednesday."

Mike slammed his head against his keyboard. He expected to get some sleep tonight. He looked at his wrist, calculating the time he had to get these briefs done. Harvey hadn't assigned anything for him, and Louis found a new protege to bother. If he got to the print room and started them immediately, then he could have them done way before next Wednesday, right? But... what day was it? Mike frantically scattered his desk, looking for the calender that had fallen off it's tack. When he did, he noticed it was due Wednesday...but not next Wednesday. It was this week.

And today was Wednesday.

_Fuck._

There was no way he was going to get this done.

He checked his watch again, giving up, and headed to the print room. He was walking through the halls when he accidentally bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry,"

"It's alright," the sweet voice said.

Mike's breath halted.

"Rachel."

The paralegal had wanted to say something, but her voice got caught in her throat. She turned and practically ran towards her office.

Mike sighed, and headed to the print room.

_This day just got a whole lot worse._

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><p>Harvey smiled and smirked at his recently new client, shaking Mr. Fawcett's- <em>Bartholomew's<em> hand, closing his deal. Lately he'd been off his game, due to the fact that he noticed that spending the night with an occasional beauty wasn't satisfying his needs. Although today was a good day for some odd reason. Walking back to his office, he said hello to everyone he caught his sight on. But when Jessica made eye contact with him, and a curl of her finger, it threw Harvey off guard. He was pretty sure she was going to ask him about the case that she assigned to him earlier that day. He rolled his eyes... Jessica should have known he hated pro-Bono's by now.

He stood in the doorway of her office, "Now there wouldn't be a plausible reason in the world to be striking up a conversation right now, would there?"

Jessica Pearson smirked, "But of course there is, Harvey. Who wouldn't want to talk to you?"

Harvey swallowed. She was going to say something he was going to hate.

She held the file up. The pro-Bono file.

"Well?"

The man shrugged, "Louis adores pro-Bono's just as much as I love his wife."

"Which is why I'm giving it to you, Louis deserves a break from all his hard pro-Bono work to spend some time with his wife," she sarcastically said, "Harvey, you do realize that this isn't me trying to torture you. I care about you, and also this firm. You are one of, if not, the best closers in the city, yet you lack certain...element."

"Weakness?" He said smugly.

"Empathy," Jessica dead-panned, "you pass on every pro-Bono that you receive, and I'm hearing that the clients think you're heartless, which is reflecting poorly on the firm. You are going to take this case, and you are going to win. And you're going to do it with a God damn smile on your face. So help me Harvey, if this case isn't closed soon, I will have your ass."

Harvey smirked, "You've already got a good grip on my balls."

"You're damn right. Now get out of my office." Pearson said, walking towards her desk.

The smart-ass of the two grabbed the file from Jessica's desk, turning to leave her office.

"And Harvey? Don't even think of passing this one onto your associate."

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><p>Conference Room 3B is where Max finally found Mike, hunched over a mountain of paperwork, on the brink of becoming an avalanche. She had a feeling that Mike needed her at the moment, and her sixth sense had come in handy, again. Strutting in with a persona to rival Harvey's, Mike looked up to see his good friend Maxine Harris holding a bag of deliciousness.<p>

"Was that from this morning?" He asked, the tiredness evident in his voice.

"What do you take me for? A cheap-ass?" She smirked, pulling out a burger for Mike.

He sighed in relief, "Food."

She nodded, "I know it's a foreign concept to you, but I thought you should be familiar with it. It is popular in some cultures..."

Max barely noticed Mike unwrapping the burger before scarfing the burger down in one bite. She didn't know if she should be repulsed by his lack of manners or amazed that he could fit that much food in his mouth at one time. It was a good thing she bought more that two burgers.

Mike, mouth full and all, asked politely, "Do you have anymore?"

Max was pretty sure she heard '_Fu yew haf a kneewore?_', but she shook her head, and gave Mike the extra burger she bought.

"So I see you lost the bet," she said, tilting her head to the piles.

Mike nodded, this time clearing his throat, "Greg conned me out of it. He knows I've been working my ass off, staying up late, rarely getting any sleep because of the shitload work I've constantly been getting from Harvey, and he decided to be more of a dick and not only take advantage of me, but also stick me with even more work. I'm surprised that Harvey hasn't asked me to do something today."

Max just listened as Mike vented. It wasn't like Mike was complaining, he just had to tell somebody what was going on. She could easily tell that Mike had a lot on his plate, and the poor guy was living minute to minute. Which is why she picked up his dry cleaning, became his personal alarm clock, and washed his dishes for him. He probably didn't notice the dishes yet, but she knew he needed clean dishes, clean clothes, and a good start in the work day. Now, because of this stupid bet, Mike would be even more stressed. Harvey wasn't even helping. He had plenty of associates to help out, but Mike always got the work. Guess it wasn't easy being the Golden Boy.

"Well, the day is early. I'm sure Harvey will come swooping down soon," she said.

Finally making a decision, she went to a random pile, picked up a handful of the Steinberg briefs, pulled a highlighter out of her bag, as well as her colourful tabs, and began proof-reading.

Mike noticed that Max had a brief in her hand, and before he could say anything, she stopped him.

"You know I can read just as fast as you. I haven't been doing anything productive since I got here since Louis thinks I should handle the 'princess' work, and if one fast reader can finish faster than average, imagine what two fast readers could do. So shut up, and get to work. I feel fine doing this."

He smirked, "You remember what you said in an hour and you tell me how you feel."

She shook her head, "You're not the only one with an eidetic memory in the room."

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><p><em><strong>Review?<strong>_

_**xoxo N.**_


	3. Pretty Paralegals

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**I know people are reading this story, and I do appreciate that greatly. I know this story is moving along slowly, but I feel that you need to have a good base before you dive into anything serious. Yet as a common courtesy, I hoped that people would leave a review or two. So, please be polite and leave a review. It could literally say anything (hopefully something positive), so please, support the writer. Leave a review.**_

_**On a lighter note, a new chapter!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Not my Suits.**_

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><p>The associates belonging to Harvey Specter quickly scattered to their cubicles as the man himself came through the hallway. His brown eyes quickly scanned the room, noticing two cubicles empty: Max Harris, and the kid himself, Mike. Harvey quickly walked to his associates table, noticing that his bag was still there, so Mike wasn't too far away. As Harvey was walking around, he overhead a conversation<span>between<span> a few of his associates.

"How the hell is Max still an associate?"

"Probably just got lucky. Or Max has got some serious connections."

"Either way, Harris is definitely not cut out for the job."

Harvey was curious about what they were saying. He remembered that there was a Max Harris as one of the rookie associates, but he had never actually met the guy; it was a guy from Louis' pool of rookies. If _Louis_ couldn't even handle the kid, then he must be bad. Harvey stuck his head in almost every room he could find, file rooms, print rooms, and even the break room, when he heard his laugh, mixed in with a female laugh, coming from one of the conference rooms. Opening the door a crack, he saw the knucklehead talking to a girl who had her back towards Harvey. Harvey almost groaned in frustration. _Not another _one, Harvey said, recalling the time where Mike and Rachel were just aimlessly talking. When Mike saw his boss standing in front of the door, Mike's laugh became somber.

Harvey raised his eyebrow, "What is with you and paralegals?"

Max was almost about to turn around smack Harvey. Sure, he was gorgeous. But that man was an ignorant asshole. Women could pass the damn LSATs and the bar exam with flying colours. She did. Not all women were damn paralegals. And yet, she couldn't bring it upon herself to turn around and yell at him. She couldn't put Mike in that position. So all she did was slightly turn towards Harvey, and covered her mouth with her hand.

The second she saw Harvey, it was as if she had never seen a man before. This man knew how to dress. He looked ridiculously good in the suit that he was wearing, and she knew that he knew that he looked ridiculously good in that suit. His confidence, or cockiness, she wasn't sure, had been evident almost instantly. Harvey was a clean, pristine, man. Not to mention that he was jaw-dropping gorgeous. Never would have Max thought brown eyes were shocking, and yet here she was looking into his breath-taking orbs of interest. His hair was perfectly slicked back, and she wondered if it was disgustingly stick-straight, or soft and flexible. His lips curved down slightly in frustration at Mike, possibly half her fault.

In that moment, she couldn't have seen anyone sexier than Harvey Specter.

The man himself caught onto the woman sitting in front of Mike. Her hand was covering her face, yet he could see that she had nice features. Dark features, like his own, yet she was still a beauty.

_Pretty, _Harvey thought.

Mike started, "Um, she's not-"

"I know," his boss cut him off, "She's probably not interested in you. So when you're done playing pretend with the pretty paralegal, meet me in my office."

Harvey gave him a 'don't-fuck-around' face, and left the conference room.

Max sighed, "'_...Playing pretend with the pretty paralegal..._try saying that five times fast."

"At least he called you pretty," Mike said, trying to make the best out the situation.

The brunette shook her head, "Go. Harvey has summoned you."

"But the briefs-"

"There are literally eight left. I can finish them, Pretty Boy."

Mike jerked back, "Pretty Boy?"

She sighed, "Would you leave already? You hanging around longer than you should is giving me the creeps."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're worse than Louis trying to uncover the Fountain of Youth on a good day. Now get out of here and let me finish these before people think I'm your girlfriend or something."

Mike got up and kissed her temple, "Two years from now, if you're not married, you better start picking out your wedding dress."

Max looked Mike in the eye with a smirk on her face, "I'm pretty sure we've been engaged for three months now."

Mike walked out of the room shouting over his shoulder, "I'll pick out the ring tomorrow."

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><p>"New case," Harvey said, throwing the file at the younger one of the two.<p>

Mike flipped through the papers quickly, absorbing all the information he could.

"Our client is Anastasia Mathers. Twenty-four, and a financial consultant under the union of Holtor's Technological Institution. She used to work for "Save their Forests", a non-profit organization to help save the wildlife. She's suing the CEO of the company, Harrison Holtor, as well as the entire board of ethics for harassment and negligence. She's claiming that the company stiffed her of nine paychecks, then fired her without advanced notice."

Mike's eyebrows rose as he saw a line printed on the sheet, "Pro-Bono? Since when did Harvey Specter take a pro-Bono case-"

"This case is messy, and they sent me to clean it up."

"'Cause that's what you're supposed to do, right?" Mike said sarcastically, not knowing that Harvey wasn't in the mood for his jokes. Mike pierced his lips together after realizing he should shut up.

Harvey continued, "As I was saying, the company is counter-suing, claiming that Mathers has been scamming the company out of an estimated total of a hundred thousand dollars over the course of two years. They're also claiming she stole half a million dollars from the company just before she was fired."

"If she stole half a million dollars, why would this case be pro-Bono?"

"Exactly what I thought," Harvey continued, "but that doesn't help the mess she's entangled in."

"Which is?" Mike asked curiously.

"She's in the middle of a nasty divorce with her husband, who also happens to be the CEO."

Mike understood what Harvey was trying to say. Anastasia's position looked pretty bad. She was an employee of the company, who happened to marry the CEO of the same company, only to end up divorcing him, and taking all of his company's money, allegedly. Mike went through more paperwork, something else catching his eye.

"No pre-nup. This guy was either stupid or in love."

"He was in love all right, but not with her personality," Harvey said, giving the indication to keep flipping through the pages.

Mike flipped to the next page where the picture of the two on their wedding day was revealed. "Oh wow," Mike said admiring the young, and absolutely drop dead gorgeous Ms. Mathers as she stood beside her rather... old husband.

"How old is Holtor?"

"Sixty-two."

"Ah," Mike said, "I can see why she liked him."

"Deep pockets," Harvey sarcastically guessed.

Mike shook his head, "Now Harvey, don't think so negatively of her. She clearly fell for his devilish smile."

Harvey looked at the picture again. Harrison's face was stone-cold straight, almost as if he was dead.

"Oh, how could I have missed that?"

"You miss a lot of things. That's why you're passing on this case to me." Mike said, polishing his fingernails on his dress shirt, blowing them off in a cocky way.

"I'm not passing it off to you, you're just going to do my dirty work," Harvey scowled, snatching the file out of his associates' hands.

"Uh, why?" Mike asked skeptically.

"Because you're so busy doing everybody else's shit for them, it won't make a difference."

That hit a soft spot, and Harvey noticed. Maybe that was a little too harsh for normal, but he had been really irritated that Mike would get wound up with another paralegal, even after what happened with Rachel, and that whole shit-storm that came with it. But Harvey knew that was the fake reason; he was just...jealous, perhaps? Maybe intimidated that Mike was capable of having someone in a relationship longer than a day, but definitely not jealous that Mike could find someone that meant something to him, and Harvey could barely keep a girl in bed for more than one night.

Harvey recovered, "And second, I don't want my work done half-assed, which is why I'm putting my best associate on the case."

Mike's face lit up a bit after Harvey's recovery comment.

"Now get out of here, and get some rest. You've got a long day tomorrow, hotshot."

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><p><em><strong>Leave a review, please!<strong>_

_**xoxo N.**_


	4. Bordeaux

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**So this story is finally picking up now, and I'm loving every minute of it.**_

_**I've written a couple of chapters ahead, and I've realized I'm going to have to change the rating from T to M. (Yeah, it's that hot)**_

**_LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE (SPOILER-ISH): Was pretty good, enjoyed the Harvey/Mike interaction, and putting Harvey in the office without a suit on (street clothes people, don't think that way) was a good decision. The twist at the end SHOCKED me (Scotty/Harvey), and Harvey apologizing for winning...ugh, just kill me now. So amazing we get to see more of that sensitive side. And hell yeah for Mike standing up to Harvey, although he might have screwed himself out of a job. Mike and Rachel, perfect. So glad she's not mad at him anymore. But my favourite part, hands down, is any scene with Donna in any episode. She's my favourite character, with her fooling Louis last episode and her making Mike cry like that...Oh my God, kill me now. Last night with her performance on the stand... I was crying because I was laughing so hard. I can't imagine anyone else to play Donna than Sarah Rafferty. The girl is a genius._**

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Disclaimer**_

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><p>Mike had come to his apartment building after a very long walk from the office. He really wasn't looking forward to hailing a cab tomorrow, so maybe in the morning he could mooch another ride off of Max, not that she minded though, he hoped. He struggled to pick his lazy and tired ass up each stair, but he did with much effort. As he was unlocking his door, he smelled the delicious scent of spaghetti sauce coming from the apartment right behind him. He turned around and knocked on the blue door, hoping she would answer. The metal sliding of the peephole cover was the only thing Mike heard before the shrill of laughter that was coming from the other side. The chain rattled against the door, before the large piece of wood swung open, revealing the five foot six, slender lady in yoga pants and a loose tank top, with the laughter in her eyes. Her hair was placed in a messy bun at the back of her head as she looked at Mike, barely holding in her laughter.<p>

"Do I look like a soup kitchen to you?"

Mike pouted, "Feed me. Please?"

Max sighed, "I had a feeling to make more food than I should."

"It's that creepy sixth sense that you have, Maxine. The best curse I've ever witnessed," Mike commented as he threw his bag on Max's couch, and turned around to open his front door. After walking into his house, he called to Maxine, who also had her front door open. The hallways were so narrow and small, that with their doors open, it seemed like they were in one big room.

"What'd you make exactly?" Mike asked as he ripped off his shirt.

"Your typical spaghetti, just I made my Mom's meat and mushroom sauce. You know, the one that you love so much." She said, stirring the red heaven in the pot.

"You do realize you are the woman of my dreams?" The man said as he pulled on a pair of sweats.

Max sighed, "Although flattery is welcomed, it still doesn't change the fact that it is so hard being perfect."

Mike locked his front door, and turned into Max's house, closing and locking the door behind him. He walked up to her small collection of wine and plucked out the only one opened.

"'91 Cabernet?" Mike asked, holding the bottle.

"Only the finest for me," She smiled as she placed the plates on the coffee table, going into her cupboards to get her wine glasses.

"So I saw you with a folder in your hand while you were in Harvey's office before I left," she said sitting down, placing the glasses on the table as she began to pour the wine. She held her hand out towards Mike, and Mike knew that she wanted to see the file that Harvey gave him. Harvey had a strict policy on privacy, but he knew that Max would give up her bottle of 1943 Bordeaux before she even thought of revealing a secret, and there was no way in _hell_ that Max would give up her bottle of 1943 Bordeaux, even if it was to save her own life. "_You'll have to pry it out of my perfectly manicured dead hands before you could take this bottle away from me,_" he remembered her say one time. As a trade, she took the file and offered a glass of wine for Mike, which he thankfully took. She flipped through the file, looking into every detail, forever being etched into her brain.

After a minute, she set the file down.

"Okay," she said before taking a sip of her wine, "I am Anastasia. You're Harrison."

Mike knew what she was doing. They were trying to establish both sides of the story to uncover the truth. She was thinking from Anastasia's point of view, while Mike was thinking from Harrison's. They each came up with scenarios that were plausible.

Mike took a big bite of the pasta, which was absolutely satisfying, before diving into his story.

"I see you on the sixth floor. You've got a pretty smile, and soft hair, and when I see you from the distance, I want to get to know you. But you can't be interested in a guy like me, I'm way too old for you, yet I still go for you. It's polite talk at first, but I make the first move, saying something sexually funny. It's odd at first, but you start to flirt back. Soon enough, we're on our thirtieth date, and I feel like we're in love, so I marry you, no pre-nup. It's fine at first, but I notice the money that you're controlling isn't matching up with the number, and you keep running up my credit cards. I confront you, and you deny everything. My money starts to deplete, and I've had enough of you and your money-sucking bitch vibe, I start cutting you out of your paychecks, and when you start using more of my money, I divorce your ass and fire you, but not before you rob me of more money, and accuse me of harassing you and neglecting your needs."

Max had been finishing her meal as Mike was talking, and nodded, "Not bad."

"Why thank you. I'm pretty sure my argument sticks."

She put her plate down and grabbed her glass, "Not until you hear my side of the story."

Max cleared her throat.

"I'm not really into old guys, but when I see you coming down from the twentieth level to our measly ninth floor, I'm attracted to your old soul. I don't know how to act at first, me being polite to you and all, but I get over my fear and start making an advance on you. You return it, and soon enough you're asking me to dinner every night, whether it be your office or a nice, upscale restaurant. One night, you pop the question, and I'm overwhelmed with happiness, that I marry you without asking for a pre-nup. At first the marriage is everything I've wanted, but then you start to distance yourself from me, and put everything you have in your work. Your work becomes your new wife, and the only way I can cope is to busy myself with shopping. I'm trying to get back at you for not paying attention to me, but you take it the wrong way and suddenly I'm not receiving any paychecks anymore. Then you fire me right before you drop a stack of divorce papers on my desk. I feel taken advantage of, so I want to get what I deserve, and I sue you for my emotional distress."

It was quiet for a while, both of them thinking over each side of the story.

Max sighed, "I'm always on the woman's side first, but Harrison's side looks like that Anastasia's just a gold-digging whore."

"Gold-digging whore?"

"If the shoe fits," she shrugged.

"I think it was made to look that way," Mike said honestly.

"It does have some authenticity to it, but I can't really put my finger on it."

Max thought of something that stopped her mind from wandering.

"Who filed for divorce?"

"Holtor," Mike said, stretching after finishing his delicious meal.

Max fathomed about it for another moment, "We don't have anymore records elaborating on their divorce?"

"Nope, just on the harassment lawsuit."

Max looked at Mike, who was scrunching his face.

"What?"

The brunette's eyebrows rose, "Let's continue with my theory. I'm still furious that you aren't spending time with me, right?"

From her tone, Mike leaned in, knowing she was onto something, "Yeah, so you start wasting my money trying to get my attention."

Max smiled, "But what if that wasn't the only way to get your attention?"

Mike thought about it for a moment, before mirroring Max's smile.

* * *

><p>Harvey Specter sat on his balcony as he looked out in the Manhattan scenery. It was an amazing sight. Almost all the lights in the Manhattan night could have been seen from his balcony. The lights below glowed spectacularly as he felt the soft breeze on his cheek. It was nights like these where he enjoyed the night, but feared it as well. The balcony was peaceful and solemn, but Harvey could feel the loneliness it brought along with it. He sat there, with his glass of '87 Merlot, letting the loneliness swallow him whole. Only in times like these would he allow himself to be vulnerable. Sure, he loved the occasional model who spent more than the night here, but it didn't feel complete. He wanted someone that would sit with him on the balcony, sipping red wine with him while not saying a word, just embracing each other and enjoying each other's company. Or someone who will watch a movie with him, yet she chooses the movie. And she doesn't choose something cheesy, like The Notebook, because she's tasteful when it comes to her movies. She'd pick something like The Departed, Righteous Kill, or even Top Gun. There was no way that a woman of Harvey's calibre would openly choose a Star Trek movie, but he didn't put aside that option.<p>

No, his woman would be strong, yet she would be soft and feminine. Smart as hell, not like the bimbos that had seen better days. Smart to the point where Harvey didn't just feel challenged, but almost felt obligated to show her up. Not afraid of competition. She had to be successful too; not too successful to upstage himself, but up to the point where people were _forced_ to respect her. Yeah, his girl would be just like him, but she'd be the only person that could kick his ass, and she'd be the only person allowed to kick his ass.

Harvey smiled at the thought of his perfect woman. She had to be out there _somewhere_. As he walked back into his home, he took into account how much Chinese he'd ordered this week.

Another thing he wished his girl would do: feed him _really_ well.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Review?<strong>_

**_xoxo N._**


	5. Boyfriends

_**Hey Everyone!**_

**_Just a new chapter update, and this one happens to be two pages or so longer than I usually write, so hopefully that'll be able to subside you until next time I update. I wanted to wait until tomorrow, but I felt bad, and I wrote a lot of chapters today, so why the hell not?_**

**_I want to give a shoutout to _**Geriana_**, a reviewer with a problem. She's wondering why there isn't much to know about Maxine. Well let me just inform you that in one of the future chapters, we dive into Max's life more than she's comfortable with. Juicy enough for you?**_

_**Onward with the story, and as always, enjoy!**_

_**P.S. I don't own suits.**_

_**P.P.S. This is the one where Harvey wipes the egg off his face... I'll leave you to it now.**_

* * *

><p>"Anastasia is not a gold-digging whore!"<p>

Harvey was absolutely mortified that Mike, who was not only thirty minutes early to work which was abnormal, but he barged into his office, shouting the most profane thing he could possibly conjure up. There was one rule that you never broke; never barge into Harvey's office unannounced and shouting at the top of your lungs. What the hell was Mike doing anyway? And what was he talking about? Harvey wondered why the hell was Mike still thinking about how Anastasia was a gold-digging whore, or how she wasn't a gold-digging whore.

"For the love of God, please tell me you stayed away from Mary-Jane."

Mike shook his head, "Quit that shit _eons_ ago. I just slept really good last night."

Harvey nodded, "Oh, well if that's everything..."

The older man of the two launched a baseball at him, causing Mike to throw the file he had in his hand in the air, and to try and dodge the scattering papers flying everywhere.

"Are you fucking insane? What the hell was that all about?"

Mike nodded as he picked up his papers , "Okay, I know it's a little unorthodox for me to do that, but I was thinking about the case last night and the more I thought, the more it made sense-"

"Slow down Mike, you're putting chatty teenage girls to shame."

Mike sighed, "I was thinking from Anastasia's point of view and how this whole mess happened. What if she was spending all of Holtor's money _not_ because she was a gold-digging whore, but because she was feeling rejected because her new husband was spending more time at work then with her, and his work revolves around money?"

Recognition crossed Harvey's face.

"She was getting his attention."

Mike smiled, "Right. But she comes from an average family that is wealthy, so her shopping sprees was probably one of her last resorts to get his attention. She's a relatively smart girl, and she knows that to get someone's attention, you have to do something drastic. And how do you get someone's attention that you're serious about leaving them if they don't change their ways?"

Harvey started following Mike's pace, "You file for divorce."

The young associate pulled a file from his bag and handed it to Harvey, which his boss took, and read the first page.

"Anastasia filed for divorce _twice_, the first time was three months after the first suspicious activity was recorded, but nine months _before _Harrison confronted her." Mike read, confirming what Harvey was reading

"Why'd she drop the divorce twice?"

"Probably would have to do with the fact that he would look bad if she left him, so he promised her that he'd change for her, when in reality he was waiting for the perfect moment to strike back," Mike said, leaning back in the chair he was occupying, "and page twenty contains her innocence."

Harvey skeptically flipped to the exact page, reading over the negotiations Mathers stated in her divorce. His eyes almost flew out of his head.

"She didn't ask for _any_ spousal support?"

Mike knew that he surprised Harvey, which he only did twice before, "She didn't want a cent of his money. If she put that in her divorce papers not once but twice, I'm pretty sure she's not out to get him for his money. Or, it must mean she's got some secret trust fund no one knows about."

Harvey closed the folder, throwing it on the table and turned to the window, adjusting his jacket. He didn't want his young associate to see the shock on his face, "I'm impressed. You've actually excelled this time."

Mike bit his lip.

_Thanks Max, you really helped on this one_.

"But now you've created a problem," Harvey said turning back to his desk, "now we have to figure out who is robbing the company before court on Friday, and we have less than twenty four hours to find them."

That is where Mike stumbled a bit.

The better dressed of the two got a closer look at the file, noticing something odd.

"Hey Wonder Boy," he said, catching Mike's attention before throwing the file back at his associate, "didn't you notice the witness for both of Anastasia's divorce filings is the same one that Harrison used for his witness? I thought you have eidetic memory, maybe you should use it once it a while."

Mike didn't see that, nor did Max. But lo and behold, the name Lisa Lahrey appeared on all three documents.

_On second thought, you could have used your brain for this one, Max._

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry Mr. Specter, I don't know how I can help you with this."<p>

Lisa Lahrey was a fast walker, and she didn't slow down for Harvey or Mike as they approached her. She had been avoiding their questions diligently, and Mike had actually seen Harvey become a little flustered from the anger he was getting from this damn woman rejecting and deflecting every question. This girl wouldn't budge.

"Look, fine, we get it. You like your privacy," Harvey was literally going to have to start jogging to keep out with this woman, "but eventually we're going to have to come back and wonder why you would side with one person, but just as soon as the ball changes court, you band waggon onto the other team."

Lisa huffed in anger, "I'm sorry Mr. Specter, but if you have anything else to say, speak to my lawyer. I'm sure you're familiar with those type of people."

Harvey stopped walking and let Ms. Lahrey continue her walk to work. Mike had been a couple of paces back, letting Harvey work his magic on the person he was talking to, but it looked like Harvey's magic wasn't enough this time.

"We need a new plan," Harvey told Mike as if he were to solve it himself.

Mike had something in mind, but he didn't know how Harvey was going to react to the news that he deliberately disobeyed one of Harvey's sacred rules, knowing that if he were to ever find out he would be so pissed that Harvey would either not talk to him, or fire his ass on the spot. But they were running out of time, and they were running short of ideas. He regretted doing so, but he hoped that Max could save his ass this time, again.

"I've got an idea."

Harvey waited for him to explain.

Mike pursed his lips.

"But I know you'll get mad."

* * *

><p>"I will have your ass, you hear me, Mike? I swear to God, if you ever, I mean <em>ever<em> go against one of my rules again, I am throwing your ass out of Pearson Hardman faster than Louis goes through Rogaine!"

Mike winced as Harvey yelled at him more than he would have liked. Mike knew that his boss would be pissed, but he didn't know he'd be _that_ pissed to the point where Donna almost walked into his office to calm him down. Mike knew he was in for it, so he texted Max as Harvey was ranting about the plan, which she accepted, and to also come into the office and try to convince him to let her go undercover. He knew that he could trust Max, but Harvey didn't trust Max, and with Mike telling Max everything on almost every case without the Senior Partner knowing was throwing a lit gasoline tank in front of an atomic bomb. Hell, he probably thought Max was a guy, and Harvey couldn't deal with more testosterone than he could handle, and Harvey had enough testosterone to go around the world and back, twenty times over.

Mike told him the plan he had; he would get one of the associates to go undercover and find out what Lisa Lahrey was hiding. After finding out all the information, they would persuade her to come forward with all the documentation, and Anastasia would be free and clear, if she was innocent. Harvey was skeptical about the idea, but agreed to it, only if he could choose the associate and read them in on the case. Mike told him he would be wasting time, since already one of the associates knew the ins and outs of the case because Mike showed them the file, and that was when Harvey Specter became furious.

"And this whole Max guy! How the hell could you share this things to a guy who I have _no _idea how he looks like! Probably some slacking Harvard kid who got lucky by cheating off the smartest kid in his class! Really Mike, could you be that thick headed? You know, if I wasn't in such a clusterfuck, I would kick your ass so hard-"

"It'll make his ancestors turn over in their graves?"

Harvey Specter's head shot up to see that a woman was standing in his doorway, holding the door open, with her other hand delicately placed on her hip. He finally realized that it was the paralegal Mike had been talking to earlier today. He knew she was pretty, but _damn_, he didn't know that she was _this_ pretty.

Her body was slightly tilted, as her ankles crossed over in a pair of gorgeous, but not obnoxious, shoes. Her legs were long and sleek, giving her an erotic vibe. Her black pencil skirt showed her big, round hips and her small waist. He could easily tell that her rear was something that he would admire. The salmon coloured dress shirt couldn't cover the fact that this woman was busty, even though she subtly tried to hide them. Her hair was naturally wavy, framing her lightly tanned face. Her face held the most perfect smirk he had ever seen. She had a button nose, perfect for her slightly prominent cheek bones. Soft jawline, and shocking lips. Not thin, but full enough to give her a slight pout. But her eyes... her fierce hazels. Harvey looked into those eyes, and he saw strength and superiority. Perfectionism at it's finest. But he saw mischief, as well as humour and relaxation. Those almond shaped eyes looked into his dark brown, and he knew that she never took 'no' for an answer.

My God. She was gorgeous.

Mike turned to her, "How much did you hear?"

She walked into the room more, now standing beside Harvey, "I stumbled in around the time his jab at Louis' hair loss came out of his mouth, and I just had to start listening on Harvey ripping you a new asshole."

Harvey was almost in awe of this woman. She was just as sinister as he was.

"You think my jabs are humorous?" He asked the new woman standing in his office.

She shrugged, "They almost amount to mine."

He was going to throw a comeback at her, when she gave him a look to almost test her. The comment died on his tongue.

She smiled in satisfaction, "I see that you're giving him the full treatment."

Harvey, slightly embarrassed that she got him speechless, turned his charm back on, "Well, if he stopped sending secrets to one of his boyfriends then maybe I wouldn't treat him like a disobeying puppy."

Her head jerked back as she looked at Mike.

'_Boyfriends_?' she mouthed to him.

Mike cleared his throat.

"Harvey, this is the infamous Max Harris."

If Harvey Specter was going to curl under a rock and die, this would be the exact moment.

Max Harris...was a _woman? _He was really in for it now. He assumed that the woman was a paralegal. Pretty women were not lawyers. Pretty women knew that they were pretty, so they knew that their looks alone would easily take them far in life. That's why moderately attractive women weren't lawyers, and the only thing a pretty girl could do that was remotely close to a lawyer is a paralegal. This is why Harvey never got angry. When he did, he would say things that he would sooner or later regret saying, and he was damn sure regretting what he said about Max. Granted, he thought she was a thirty-five year old sweaty meatball that bought his suits at warehouses. Boy, she was the _furthest _thing from Louis.

Max could see Harvey was a little taken back, "It's Maxine Harris."

She leaned in, a little too dangerous for comfort.

"And I cheated off the second smartest kid in the class, actually."

Harvey cleared his throat, "Well, I'm not the one to put his foot in his mouth-"

"But you did," Mike chided in.

Harvey was never in a position where he was acting sheepishly in front of a woman, and to most women, that was a turn-off. At the moment, he wanted to hide away from Max, come back an hour later and put some of his famous Harvey charm on the woman, maybe convincing her to take her out to dinner, and take her back to his place... but when Harvey thought of bringing the girl back to his place on the first date, he felt that it wasn't... right. Something inside of Harvey told him that if he was going to take this lovely woman out to dinner, he better take her out to dinner _only_, ask her on another date, and pray that she says yes. And if one thing lead to another..._No, _he wouldn't sleep with her on the first date. Yet that didn't banish him from other thoughts. Instead of Max being repulsed by Harvey's embarrassment, she did something Mr. Specter had never seen before. _Ever._

She laughed.

"Oh, it's alright. All of us sometimes get caught with our pants down."

She wasn't afraid of saying what she wanted to say, and that was something Harvey appreciated, and found comfort in.

"Speaking of pants down, Mike, when did you want me to talk to Lisa Lahrey?"

Harvey looked to Mike for an explanation, and with Mike's flushed face, he knew that there was a story behind that sentence. Before Harvey could utter out anything, Mike bolted for the door, running towards his cubicle. Mike couldn't face that embarrassment.

"Clarification would be nice right now." He said towards the lovely lady beside him.

Max shook her head, "Another story for another time."

Harvey knew that if he was going to outwit this girl, he had to start now.

"Good, so you'll tell me over dinner." Harvey said walking back towards his desk.

_Did he just ask me out on a date without asking me on a date? _The thought rang through Max's brain. Harvey couldn't think that _she_ was pretty? She was plain at the least, maybe her eyes were a little different from the status-quot, but nothing to shocking. Sure, she knew that she was sexy, but she attracted a different type of man: powerful businessmen or the artistic musician. Not one of the top lawyers in Manhattan, and _certainly_ not Harvey Specter.

"Want to swing that by me again?" Max said, curious as to what Harvey will do.

"So, Friday at eight? My treat."

Max was literally holding her laugh at the tip of her tongue. No wonder Harvey was one of the best lawyers. This guy had _balls_. Big cojones, and she had to appreciate that. He probably had a matching set in between his legs to match that big, confident, egotistical attitude-

_Focus_, she scowled herself, trying to think of a way to throw him off his game.

"Okay," she said walking around the desk to face him. She was almost two feet from him, and Harvey had to keep his hands in his pocket to prevent him from touching her. He was in his office after all. _"_You like deals, negotiations, right_?" _He just nodded, noticing that she was close enough that he could feel her breath. There was a short pause... where their lips were just about to touch...

Before Max turned and walked towards the door.

"You think you're the best closer in Manhattan," she said walking towards the door, "well, I'll make a deal with you," she turned holding the door handle, preparing to leave, "if you can close this harassment lawsuit before eight o'clock tomorrow, you can take me out to wherever you want," she smiled opening the door, "then maybe, you can close another deal," she said, about to leave the room.

"What if Lahrey resists your 'girl talk'?"

Max looked at Harvey from under her eyebrow, as almost to test her.

"Any show of resistance would be futile, Captain."

She smirked, and walked out of the office.

Harvey was frozen in his place. Had she just? Did she...

"Did she quote Star Trek?" Harvey asked himself, eyebrows furrowing.

Never, in his entire life, had Harvey Specter met a woman like Maxine Harris.

And that scared the hell out of him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Faster you review, the faster I update!<strong>_

_**xoxo N.**_


	6. Nancy Drew

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**Here's another update, and it focuses more on the case than Harvey/Max. Not to fret! The next several chapters revolve around them both, and I want to focus on the case to finish it up quickly.**_

_**Hope you enjoy this next installment of TAOP.**_

**_P.S. Don't own Suits_**

* * *

><p>Mike was chewing on a hot-dog, sitting across the street from a gym, where Max was supposedly talking to Lisa Lahrey. It had almost been an hour since Max went in, and Mike was getting bored. Oddly enough, Harvey, who was also chewing a hot dog, decided to tag along. Harvey never did dirty investigative work unless he was sure he had all the answers, but as of right now, there was barely enough information to answer one question, so Mike should have known Harvey was just there to see Max. Mike shuttered at the thought; Max was his best friend that he was 'engaged' to, but he never thought of her as girlfriend material. They were friends who had seen each other naked...which meant that it was another story for another time. Harvey was standing beside Mike, leaning against the brick wall of the salon as they waited for Max to leave the gym.<p>

"I'm curious," Harvey said, with his mouth half-full.

"I'm shocked," Mike said sarcastically.

"Humour me," Harvey said, wiping his mouth with his napkin, "I'm curious to know how the hell you two are friends."

Mike shrugged, "We just understood each other when we first met, I guess."

"Wise beyond her years," Harvey mentioned, mostly to himself.

Mike snorted, "More like childish."

The older man turned towards the younger man.

"Just how old is Max?"

Mike hesitated, "She'll kill me..."

"Mike," Harvey said threateningly.

Mike sighed, he'd find out anyway.

"She's turning twenty-eight in a couple of months."

Harvey's jaw dropped. No way she was five years younger than him. She looked younger than Mike, and Mike looked like a child, even at twenty-four years old. Harvey though that he had a good ten years on her, eleven at the most. But twenty-eight? No wonder she was smart and witty.

"So why did you have your pants down?" Harvey said changing the subject, leaning towards Mike.

Mike's eyeballs shot out of his head, "She didn't tell you?"

"She wouldn't budge," Harvey said disappointed, "the only way she'd tell me is if I took her on a date."

"But you're not taking her out on a date... are you?"

Harvey didn't say a word; he just look at Mike.

The younger one of the two clumped his napkin together harder than he should have. Chucking it towards the garbage can, and miserably missing, Mike couldn't help but get a little mad at his boss. Of _course _Harvey would go after his hot best friend. He had no shame, that man. A head's up would have been nice. He knew Max for _five _minutes, and he already asked her out on a date. Max was going to be pissed when she spent more that five minutes than him. They were way too similar.

"You know, it's really great that you don't care about anyone, otherwise you would have noticed that really pissed me off."

Harvey was taken back.

"Wait, so you and Max-"

"Oh, God no. I'm just pissed that you hit on anything and anyone. Plus, she's not my type." Mike said, shaking away the disgust.

Harvey nodded, "Understandable. She's a lawyer."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Mike questioned.

"Well, isn't it obvious," Harvey said, bunching up his napkin and throwing it in the trashcan perfectly. He turned to his associate with a smug smile on his face, "You're clearly attracted to paralegals."

Mike would have come up with a great sarcastic remark if Max hadn't picked this opportunity to finally leave the gym. As she left he doors she quickly scanned the crowd, spotting Mike and Harvey directly across the street from her. She ran through the street, ignoring the honking horns that she left behind her, and rushed towards the two. She probably knew that Harvey was checking her out so many times he'd have to pay taxes three times over. After all, she did look good in yoga pants.

"Did you find anything?" Mike asked her hesitantly.

She nodded with excitement in her voice, "Holy shit did I ever, and before I even tell you this, Harvey, you better tell Louis I need a raise, cause this information is worth it."

They quickly sat down at the local restaurant, not interested in food, but privacy.

"If you keep this secret any longer Nancy Drew, you can kiss your deal goodbye," Harvey said, not amused with waiting for her to speak.

"Now can you please tell us what the hell happened?" Mike demanded.

Max nodded and leaned in, beginning to tell her story.

"She was literally sitting on the bike, ready to burst into tears. I just hopped on the bike beside her and just started talking to her. Soon enough, she shed a few tears, and excused herself to go to the locker rooms. I followed her, and she just started pouring her heart out, how she recently became a single mother and how her life was so screwed up-"

"Maxine," Mike warned.

"I know, I'm rambling, but it's getting good, let me have my moment."

"As I was saying," she continued, "I blew my cover, telling her that I was Anastasia's lawyer, and she lit up like a Christmas tree. She told me about a story where she met a really nice guy from her work. He was sweet and charming, and he wooed his way into her pants. But the moron hadn't heard the invention of condoms, and nine months later her son is born. A few weeks after her baby was born, he got married. He was two timing her while she was _pregnant_."

Harvey was getting frustrated, "I don't care about clients and their shit, get to the good part Maxine-"

"And if you would let me finish, my stories always make sense at the end," she continued.

"What I forgot to mention was that the woman he married..."

They both nodded.

"...was Anastasia Mathers."

Mike gasped, while Harvey's grin grew wider.

Max mirrored his smile, "Lisa Lahrey is Harrison Holtor's mistress."

Mike couldn't hide his excitement, "No wonder they didn't want us snooping. This story is huge."

"Wait," Max said, getting comfortable, "there's more."

She leaned in again, "The reason Harrison was always at work at the beginning of their marriage is because he was spending 'time' with Lisa. He actually fell in love with her, which lead to their illegitimate love child. Harrison hates kids, so you know he just dropped the kid like Mike dropped his pants."

The comment earned her a look from her friend, and a chortle from her friend's boss.

"I had to. You make it too easy. Anyways, Anastasia had no idea that he was cheating on her. But we had the entirely wrong. We thought that Anastasia was the gold-digging whore, wasting all his money, when really, the only reason that Harrison married Anastasia is because _he's_ the gold-digging whore."

Harvey's jaw finally dropped.

Mike turned to Max, "Harrison's broke? How?"

"Bad investment on a technological study for the make of eco-friendly cellphones. Paperwork can back that story up instantly. And no wonder he was so pissed at Anastasia wasting all his money. He didn't have that much to begin with."

Harvey shook his head, "What possessed him to marry Anastasia? She's not that rich."

"Wrong. She is," She continued, "I knew Anastasia looked familiar. Have you heard of Laughlin Motors?"

"One of the richest companies in electric scooters," Harvey said without missing a beat.

"Remember the woman who was giggling as she was riding her scooter from the commercials? That was Anastasia," she paused, letting it sink it, "Well, the only reason she was in the commercials is that she's related to the owner. I found out that Anastasia's mother is the late Evangeline Mathers, who married Mark Laughlin and had Anastasia a year later."

"She's Laughlin's daughter?" Harvey said, shocked.

Max nodded, "What's even more twisted is that Mark passed away _two years_ ago, ironically around the same time Harrison started dating Anastasia."

She smiled at the faces they were making.

"He left her his entire empire." Max whispered.

"Worth?" Harvey asked.

She smiled, "Four hundred million dollars."

Mike whistled, "Told you there was a secret trust fund no one knew about."

Harvey's eyebrows furrowed, "How does Lisa know about the trust fund? And why did she sign as a witness for Anastasia both times?"

Max licked her lips, "I can answer both of those questions: Lisa and Anastasia are cousins, through her mother, and the only blood relatives they have. Lisa must have always been on Anastasia's side."

She didn't wait for their reaction, she wanted to finish the story.

"Mark stated in his will that when his daughter turns twenty four, she will inherit all of her four hundred million dollars. _That's_ why Harrison didn't sign a pre-nup, because he knew that Anastasia would make it so that she kept what was hers and he kept what was his. When Anastasia filed for divorce the first time, Harrison freaked out because she wasn't twenty-four yet. The same thing happened the second time. Ironically enough, the day Harrison filed for divorce is the same day as Anastasia's twenty-forth birthday."

She leaned towards Harvey, "That's why you let me finish a story."

Harvey smirked. He had to admit that this girl was good. Almost as good as him. _Almost._

"So, since you're found out almost everything, tell me, where did all of the money go that Anastasia was accused of stealing?"

Harvey, thinking he was smarter than her sat smugly in his seat. But Mike knew that Max always hid an ace up her sleeve.

"Since Harrison left Lisa high and dry with a newborn son, she demanded that he pay child support, otherwise she'd go public with her story. She still supported Anastasia through the two divorce papers, but she still took money from Harrison. Since Harrison couldn't afford to pay child support by himself, he 'borrowed' from the company. Couple of thousands every month over the span of two years, it's close to a hundred thousand dollars. But when Lisa finally found out about Harrison's plan to steal all of Anastasia's money, she told him that she was going to side with her cousin. But he needed to look good in front of the law, and if her own cousin was against Anastasia, he would look better. Of course, Lisa said no, but after he threw some money at her, she reluctantly agreed."

"Let me guess," Mike said quickly, "five hundred thousand dollars."

"And Pretty Boy steals the show," she said, smiling back in her seat.

She spoke before Harvey could interject, "Don't worry. Lisa wants Harrison to pay and she's willing to cooperate with us to the full extent."

It was in the back of his mind the entire time she was explaining the story, she was didn't give up on getting the truth, and how resilient she was. She was like him in _so_ many ways. She was like just as good as Mike, but he could actually kiss this one for being amazing at her job. This woman in front of him was probably the greatest thing that walked into his life.

Except...

"Let me ask you this then," Harvey said leaning in, "if Anastasia inherited four hundred million dollars several months ago, then why is her case pro-Bono?"

Max's face furrowed in confusion.

And just like that, Harvey stole the show. Again.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I know, it's short. But the next chapter will be up before you know it.<strong>_

_**Don't forget to review!**_

_**xoxo N.**_


	7. Louboutins

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**This chapter is another short one, and not really a lot of Harvey/Max, more of Mike&Max and Mike&Harvey. But I promise next chapter will be all of Harvey/Max.**_

**_Enjoy!_**

**_P.S. Aaron Korsh owns Suits._**

* * *

><p>"She...gave...all of her money...to charity?"<p>

Mike was laughing through the other side of her phone as Max was going through a panic withdrawal. Mike had met with Anastasia Mathers to let her know that she was in the clear and no charges were going against her. She was grateful for their help in clearing her name. Mike ended up telling her everything; Harrison's plan, Lisa's involvement, and everything in between. Anastasia kept very quiet when hearing the news, but when Mike asked her what she did with the trust fund, she happily opened up and told him she gave all of it to the charity that changed her life.

"_Yeah. She was deeply involved with a non-profit organization called 'Save their Forests_'."

The line was quiet for a second.

"_Max_?"

"She gave four hundred million dollars to a bunch of beluga whales."

"_Yep_."

Max slammed her head against the bar, not caring about the dirty looks she was getting from the bartender.

"You're fucking joking, right?"

"_I honestly wished I was. You can't make up stuff like this_."

Max was still in disbelief, "You could have kept a few millions to keep your future family secure for the next two hundred years, but no, Bengal tigers seem to exceed the human race."

Mike sat on his living room couch, watching Pittsburgh dominate over Washington, "It's a cruel world," he said into the phone, eating Max's leftovers that magically made its way into his fridge.

"How's the date going?" He asked, hoping that she was having a good time.

Pulling the phone away from her ear, she looked over to _date_, as he was sharing a beer with his friends and clients at the very upscale bar. The dinner was alright, but Harvey could not stop talking about himself. He subtly hinted about his net worth, and his wealth, and his good looks, and his charm, and his wit, and his deals, and his over-priced condo, and his vast wine collection, which she did enjoy him talking about it until he starting blabbing about work again. She though her night wouldn't get any worse, until a few of his clients noticed him, decided to say hello for thirty minutes, and half-dragged him towards the bar where they were watching the game. She was about to leave the table when the waitress kindly told her she would either have to pay the bill or she couldn't leave her seat until the bill was paid, which was a new law to prevent dine and dashing. She couldn't find Harvey because he was too far away from him to see her, and the waitress was watching her every move. She gave up, and asked for the cheque. She nearly cried when she saw the number written on the bottom. _Yeah, Harvey is __definitely giving me a treat_. She sadly gave the waitress her American Express. It wasn't like she couldn't afford it; hell, she was much more wealthier than Mike, but not nearly as rich as Harvey. She could easily pay this off in a day, but her semi-daily shopping sprees for expensive wines would have to be put on hold for a bit. Harvey on the other hand could wipe his ass with that amount of money. After putting a down payment on an apartment, she walked towards the bar, and was about to order a tall glass of wine, but shrugged her shoulders and asked for a shot of tequila and the darkest beer they had.

"Shit-tastic. Although it's not like I didn't expect it. The man is afraid of commitment," She said, taking another chug from her beer.

"_He was talking about himself_?"

"Through the entire damn dinner. Then his clients came, stole him away from me, and I was stuck paying the bill!" She nearly screamed, causing the bartender to give her a funny look, which she ignored, "I thought he was different, Mike. He seemed to like me. And yet this guy forces me to commit economic suicide."

"_How much was the bill_?" Mike said, getting angrier by the moment.

"One thousand four hundred fifteen dollars and nineteen cents. Before taxes." Hearing the horrible number again, she called to the bartender and pointed at her empty shot glass. He filled it up with another ounce of Jose Cuervo and shot that down.

"It was mostly the two bottles of wine he bought," she said, appreciating his fine taste.

"_Why are you still there?_"

She sighed, "Because I don't want to kick his ass in front of his friends. I'm an angry woman, not a sadist," she said twirling her beer bottle, "Besides, this dress has been in the closet for too long. I'm not ready to put it back in so soon."

"_So you're sitting at a bar, one thousand eight hundred dollars lighter, neglected by your date, all the while wearing your favourite dress_-"

She swallowed her drink. "Correction. I'm wearing my favourite dress drinking _beer_."

"_...I'm gonna call you back_."

Max pulled her phone away from her ear, annoyed with the ringing coming from the receiver. She threw her phone back in her purse and took another swig at the utterly disgusting beer that she forced herself to drink.

"Well, that makes two assholes who ruined my night."

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><p>Pittsburgh was up by seven and Harvey Specter was up two thousand dollars in the little pool he was involved in with his good friends, and a few clients. The night was good. He knew he was talking a little too much about himself towards Max, but she seemed interested enough in him that he didn't need to worry; she'd be wrapped up in his little world in no time. His friend Hank Lewston and a couple of his college buddies happened to spot him, and begged him to just have one drink with them. Seeing that he couldn't refuse their offer, he walked to the bar to enjoy a few brews with the guys. He quickly told Max that he'd be back in a second, as he was going to schmooze some of his clients. <em>Harmless fun<em>, he thought. The game was on, and Gallager placed fifty on Washington. Seeing as this being an easy way to get quick money, he placed another bet, and another, and another. He was having a really good time with his clients when he felt his cellphone began ringing in his pocket.

He pulled it out to see '_Mike Ross_' flash across the screen.

Harvey pushed his way out of the crowd, answering his phone when he was a clear distance away from the rowdy group.

"I thought we cleared the Mathers case, princess."

"_We did. But right now I'm not calling you as your employee. I'm calling you as a pissed-off friend._"

Harvey's eyebrows furrowed, "Not sure I follow your train of thought, Einstien."

"_You don't notice it, but right now your date is sitting at the bar alone, in her favourite dress that she saved for three years just so that she could wear it to the perfect date, drinking beer._"

Harvey turned to scale the bar, only to see his date chugging down another swig of beer, with the look of utter distaste on her face. His heart dropped at the sight of her sad and angry face.

"I take it she doesn't like beer?"

"_She'd rather drink bleach, Harvey_." Mike said dryly.

Harvey finally saw the ramifications of his actions. Max barely got a word in with Harvey talking about himself the entire dinner. It wasn't that he didn't know how to have a balanced conversation, he was just so nervous, trying to get Max to like him. She was different than the other girls he brought to dinner, he just tried a little too hard. She must have felt like crap, being left at the table by herself, then sitting at the bar by herself. He was having a good time, but Max? This date was supposed to be about pleasing _her_, yet Harvey managed to spin it about himself unintentionally. She was probably furious at him. As she should be.

"_You may not care about anyone_, _but if you really don't want to care about Max, just leave her alone._"

Harvey shook his head, trying to move on as quickly as possible, "Mike, if a word of what I'm about to say is ever known by someone besides you, I will hang you by one of the disgusting skinny ties you chose to own."

Harvey took a breath, "Help me fix this?"

"_Figure that on your own_."

"Mike!" He shouted, but looked around to see if anyone noticed, "Mike," he said quieter.

"_Yes Master?"_

Harvey rolled his mind, "Okay, you want to hear that I screwed up? Well yeah, I did screw up. I ruined this date because I don't know how to get on Max's level. She's so...amazing, and I'm..."

Mike gripped his phone, waiting for Harvey to continue.

"...I'm the best closer in Manhattan."

It didn't say a lot, but if you were a lawyer it spoke volumes. He was good with courtroom cases and one-night stands. But early parts in a relationship? Ha, Mike was pretty sure Harvey didn't know the first thing about love.

"Mike, please, help me out."

Mike, wanting to relish in the fact that Harvey said please for the first time, reluctantly gave him tips.

"_I'm only going to give you help this one time, you got it?_"

Mike was waiting for the witty response, but it never came.

"_She loves wine. She collects, but just bring up the history._ _Don't talk about money. Just talk about your life, and what you want. She talks just as much as she listens, so listen to her too. Have fun, ask her anything. She'll answer it._"

Mike paused for a second, thinking of something that Max would only dream of.

"That's it, Pretty Boy?" Harvey said, getting impatient.

Mike rolled his eyes. Maxine got to everyone.

"_She loves Manhattan at night. She would always sit on the roof of the apartment building and just look over the edge, taking in the sight. I don't know about you, but if I had access to a high-rise balcony that could see the nightlife of Manhattan, I would use it to my advantage._"

Harvey smiled, knowing what Mike was talking about.

"I am clearly not paying you enough."

Which reminded Mike, "_Speaking of paying, you do realize you left her with the bill._"

Harvey smacked himself. _This girl is bringing out the worst in me..._

"How much?"

"_Let's just say buying her a_ _pair of Louboutins would soften the blow_."

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><p><em><strong>Don't forget to review!<strong>_

_**xoxo N.**_


	8. Purple

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**This chapter is one of the longer ones, and it is all about Harvey and Max. There is some VERY**__** minor sexual encounters, but nothing that is NSFW (Not safe for work). Hopefully it'll keep you intrigued for more.**_

_**Hope you enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Suits belongs to Aaron Korsh**_

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><p>Max had enough of this self-wallowing. Who the hell was Harvey Specter to her? The man clearly never left the house without a mirror, so why should she get caught in the crossfires of his vanity? She finished downing the poison before slamming it on the oak bar. She went into her pathetic excuse of a wallet, when suddenly a few twenties were thrown on the bar in front of her. She turned to see Harvey himself with a very chiseled expression. She was going to ask him what was wrong but he shook his head, only placing his suit jacket over Max's shoulders as they walked out of the bar, the only thing they left behind were the pleas for return from the drunken buddies. Harvey had valet bring around his Tesla as he opened the door for Max, before getting in the driver's seat himself and driving away. A few minutes into the street and before Max could say anything, Harvey decided to speak up.<p>

"I... am an asshole," he said half laughing at the end.

Max wasn't in the mood to correct him.

"I take you out to dinner, my treat, and you have a shitty time, and I stick you with the Goddamn bill, and then you drank beer which I can tell you hate-"

Now she was going to correct him, "I'd rather drink battery acid."

Harvey suppressed his smile. Mike really did know the girl sitting beside him.

She turned to face his stoney face now, "How do you know I don't like beer?"

Harvey raised an eyebrow, "It looked like you _were_ drinking battery acid."

She smirked. He had noticed something about her. She smiled to herself, maybe there was some hope for him after all. She remained calm in the passenger seat. Harvey, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck, barely keeping it together. Things were starting to pick up again, and Harvey really wasn't in the mood to start from scratch.

"What's my favourite colour then?" She asked smirking.

Harvey turned, pulling into the underground parking lot of his building, parking in his normal spot which happened to be vacated. He turned to face her, studying her completely.

"You don't have one."

She gasped, "That's not fair. Mike let it slip, didn't he?"

Harvey shook his head as he got out of the car, "I don't have one either. Plus, Harvey Specter figures things out on instinct."

Max stood, and nodded her head, "Yeah, just like you instinctively forgot about me and let the whole world revolve around you."

Harvey could feel the venom dripping from her voice as it pierced into his heart. She wasn't going to let the date go that easy, but yet she made me seem that it could be easy.

She smiled though, "Suck it up. I get at least two more jabs at you."

"Oh, with the wise jokes now?"

Max threw a smirk before turning around, She was walking ahead of him when he called out to her, "You don't even know where we're going."

Max turned around, "Let me guess. Your place?"

The instant Max turned around, Harvey finally got a full look at Max's outfit. His suit jacket hung from her index finger as she threw it over her shoulder. The tan dress wrapped around her curves so softly that he almost lost his breath. No wonder she had been saving that dress for years, it was damn worth the wait. Her hips were unbearable. Her breasts were making him crazy, and her smile... The powerful lawyer was almost powerless as he slowly approached the devilish woman. He carefully placed his hands on top of her hips, seeing if he had her permission to place them there. She leaned into his embrace, slowly looking up into his dark, chocolate eyes. She could see the lust in his orbs, just as she wanted it to be. As Harvey was leaning down to kiss her, she took a step back and twirled around laughing.

"That's two. One more and maybe I'll think about stopping," she said standing in front of the doors leading to the lobby of his building.

Harvey exhaled in frustration, "You know, closing this deal would have to be the hardest one I've ever faced."

She smirked, "Then it must be a damn good deal."

The man smirked, enjoying a fresh, honest face. Something that he had missed when he came into the business. Everyone at Pearson Hardman seemed to be inauthentic, with the exception of Jessica, Donna, and Mike. But Max... why hadn't he seen her before? She was a stunning person, and a damn good lawyer. Maybe he didn't notice her because he wasn't looking for her. He would have been happier if he met her a lot sooner. Looping her arm through his, the couple walked passed Barry, one of the security guards on duty. With a curt nod from both sides, they rode in the elevator. Harvey, living on the twenty-sixth floor, had the luxury of enjoying a seventeen second elevator ride with a beautiful woman. She sighed, resting her head on his upper arm as she clutched his left arm softly. She smelled of a soft, feminine perfume, and Harvey loved every deep breath he took in that small space.

"Purple."

Harvey, curious, let her continue, "That's your favourite colour. You wear purple when you think a client is more likely not to be signed by you. You wear the colour because you think that colour gives you the edge. Purple, to you, means dominance and success."

She smirked as she took in his silence, "Don't think I'm not aware of my surroundings Mister Specter."

The elevator came to soon, and Harvey began guiding her through the maze of hallways. Of course Harvey would live in apartment at the end of the hallway. It just made sense. As they arrived at the door, the man began to pat his pockets, in search for his keys. His eyebrows furrowed. He was pretty sure when he left this morning that he put his keys in his breast pocket of his suit jacket...

His eyes snapped to Max, who was holding the keys in front of her, laughing.

Harvey snagged them from her, muttering something along the lines of "...would have found it anyway." When Max entered his home, she expected it to be a bachelor pad from floor to ceiling. It was, but it was a very tasteful bachelor pad, something that she wouldn't mind living in...if it wasn't so black and white. The blinds were drawn, and Harvey was taking off his tie, rushing towards Max.

"What are you doing?" She said, noticing that he was using the tie as a blindfold.

"I've got a surprise," he said, placing his tie over her eyes and tying it from the back. Almost after Harvey finished, the electronic sound of motors turning hit her ears, as Harvey started guiding her.

"You know Mike tried to surprise me once."

"How did that turn out?" Harvey asked, guiding her around the couches.

"The surprise was ruined. His tie was too skinny so I saw the whole thing."

Harvey laughed. A genuine laugh; not because it was forced, or he was putting on a show. Max said something funny, and Harvey laughed, involuntarily, and he loved it. Max heard her surroundings change, from quiet home to noisy, muffled street. Harvey moved her into a position where she left a metal rod going across her upper arms. She grabbed onto it, becoming impatient.

"Now?"

He laughed, "Almost. Just have some patience."

She rolled her eyes, "Patience is a virtue I wish that wasn't needed."

"Ah, yet you demand it so much," the smart-ass commented back.

"Okay," Harvey said, beginning to take the tie off her eyes.

When Harvey heard her gasp, he knew that he made up for his stupid mistake.

Through the glass wall, Max couldn't believe the view from up here. No matter how high she got, the city still looked beautiful, being lit up by the lights of the nights. From a distance she could see Times Square, and how the lights bounced off of each other. She saw all the cars stuck in traffic, giving the puddles in the ground a glow that she could see even from the twenty-sixth floor. The buildings surrounding her had specs of light randomly placed within the windows. She saw street dancers embracing their art, and taggers marking their place in society. She could see everything from up here. The harmony that Manhattan held, that she had been so desperately been wanting to see, and now she finally did. She finally reminded herself on why she became a lawyer. The sight that she was seeing caused her to bring up old memories, good memories that she had kept in the vault in the back of her mind, and that was worth forgiving the idiot for being an idiot.

"It's beautiful Harvey. Thank you."

She turned to the said idiot, only to realize he had been watching her the entire time. She walked towards him, closing the distance that had been between them.

"So, Mike huh?" Harvey said, leaning against the railing.

Max shook her head, "You probably want to hear the stories now."

"Yes, I'd like to hear about the blackmail that I'm about to accumulate."

She giggled, but continued with the short story.

"The first day I moved in to the building, I left my door open to air out the stale smell. It was really early in the morning, so I didn't worry about people passing by. After all, I was only in a sports bra and shorts. About three minutes into that, Mike shoots out of his door, trying to put together his jumbled suit, right in front of me. As he was doing his belt, I couldn't help but laugh. Mike looked at me the same time he let go of his pants, and there they fell to the floor. Almost laughing at him, I asked him why he was in a rush. He let it slip that he was working at Pearson Hardman. I happened to be transferring from Jackson Fortworth to Pearson Hardman. He was going to continue the conversation, but he realized his pants were still on the ground."

Harvey couldn't help but laugh, "What is he? Boxers or briefs?"

"Boxers. And they were the cutest pair of Cookie Monster boxers I'd ever seen."

Harvey almost snorted from laughing, which made Max laugh even harder.

"So the next time you saw him, he had Big-Bird under his pants?"

She sighed, "No, Groucho actually. He had every Sesame Street character _except_ for Big-Bird. Obviously I kept reminding him to buy it, but he never did."

Harvey's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion, "Why do I have the feeling you ended up getting him a pair for him?"

"Christmas. Last year. In bright yellow wrapping paper."

Harvey had never laughed this much in a while, let alone someone he wanted to laugh with, and for the first time, he felt only peace when he stood on this balcony with Max.

"Thank you again, Harvey. This was... better than I imagined."

She was so close that she could smell his cologne, and the faint smell of sweat. But nothing could have smelled sexier than that. He was so tempting, but she didn't know if she should pull a fast one, or just finally let him kiss her.

"About tonight, I don't know what came over me-"

She waved her hand, cutting him off, "I understand," she said, taking a deep breath, "I understand you completely. You're confident, and yet you're afraid of failing. You wanted this night to go perfectly, but it didn't. Face it; you're philophobic."

"Afraid of pretty girls?" Harvey asked sarcastically.

"Afraid of falling in love," she said softly.

Harvey pursed his lips together as he turned to look out to the scenery below.

"I've never been in love," he began to say, still looking at the city, "Sure, I've had some great nights with some great girls. Even when I hit rock bottom, I still was alright. Yet, I've never found someone. _My _someone. Maybe it's because I'm great at one night stands, but a relationship is something I don't do," he turned to her, looking into her eyes, "when I do something, I make sure that in the end, I don't fail- I _won't_ fail. But with love? I don't know the outcome of it. So yeah, I guess I'm a philo... whatever you call it."

Maxine shook her head as she laughed, "But don't you see? That's the best part of a relationship. You never know the end of it."

"How do you deal with something like that though? How do you plan-"

She cut him off, "You don't plan these things, Harvey. You take it from day to day. Not everything in life is supposed to be calculated with a for sure win. Sometimes, you get burned. Yeah, it sucks. But you learn to get your shit together and pick yourself up." She stared into his eyes, forcing him to listen to her. "You learn that most of the time, it's okay to kick ass and be the boss. But there will be times that you need someone there, and sometimes Mike can't do these things."

Harvey chuckled a bit, knowing that she was right.

She placed a hand on his face, "I know it's seems amazing, always standing on top. But isn't it exhausting?"

He leaned into her hand, enjoying the soft, luxurious skin stroking his face. She was so _wise_ for someone as cocky as himself. Who would have ever thought that Harvey wanted to be in the same room as a person with an ego almost, if not, equal to his own? They were like the same mind, the only difference was Max showed people she cared. A lot. So why couldn't he?

"It is lonely up there too," he said, clutching her hand against his face.

The beautiful woman grinned.

"So am I forgiven for that disastrous date?" He slowly said, with a hint of a smile on his face.

Max shook her head, pulling her hand away, "The only thing I remember from this date is you showing me one of the greatest sights of my life."

His smirk came back, "So what happened to that one last jab at me?"

"I forgot about it five minutes ago."

"Why is that?"

"Because I thought that ripping your shirt off will even out my anger," she said, inches away from his lips.

Harvey promised himself that he wouldn't sleep with her tonight, but that hadn't meant he wasn't in the mood for other things.

"Now, now, this is Dolce-"

"Will you please quit with the foreplay and kiss me now?" Max said impatiently.

His lips met hers the second she asked. He imagined her lips to be soft, like pillows, but all he could feel was the hunger radiating through her lips. She clutched Harvey's head between her hands, making sure that he wasn't going anywhere. His large hands held her lower back, pushing her closer towards him. His hands felt so good against her body, that she gave her all in the kiss. Harvey's hands moved down towards Max's rear, and gave a good appreciative squeeze. Afraid Harvey took it too far, Max backtracked his thoughts, giving him one of the sexiest giggles ever heard by man. His hands stayed on her voluptuous ass for a moment more before placing his hands just under her butt. With a squeeze he lifted her up easily, walking her towards his soft couches in his home. He sat down, forcing Max to sit on Harvey's lap. Her hands slowly and deliberately unbuttoned his expensive blouse, her slender fingers easily popping the buttons through the holes. She was thankful that Harvey didn't wear an undershirt as she rested her hands on his broad chest. His mouth began to wander her cheeks, her jugular, the crook under the corner of her chin... Almost as soon as his tongue glided over that last spot, he heard the smallest moan erupt from Max's throat. He smiled against her skin.

_Found it_, he thought.

Harvey grabbed her chin, forcing her to turn her head to the other side. Almost instantly, he suckled just under the chin. Max ran a finger through his hair, not expecting it to be very soft as it was always slicked back. The bastard found one of her weak spot, and she was desperately trying to control herself. She let out a few silent moans, trying not to give him the satisfaction he so desperately wanted. She knew he was getting agitated, so he started to move lower, down her neck, to her collar bone, and dangerously closer to her bust line.

It was at that moment that Harvey Specter hated cellphones.

The thing shrilled, killing whatever vibe that was in the room. Harvey threw his head back on the couch, and Max placed her head on the crook of his shoulder, waiting for the damn ringing to stop. He dug into his pocket to reveal the caller's name on the screen to both of them.

'_Louis Litt_'

Max scoffed, "Wow. A cock block in and out of the office."

Harvey laughed, putting the phone to his ear.

"Your wife missing me, Louis?"

At first, he thought the joke would offend the beauty sitting on his lap, but he felt the slight shake of her laugh come off her body.

"_Ha, ha, you're quite the charmer Harvey, really. But no, that would have been funny if I had a wife_."

"Oh, still not married?"

"_Thankfully no. Now you're probably wondering why I called you this late_."

"No, I'm wondering why I haven't kicked your ass yet."

"_All the same. I'm curious to know how you solved the Mathers case so quickly. I know you've got your little Golden Boy running around finding the truth, but this case just flew by very fast._"

Harvey knew what Louis was getting to, trying to figure out if he had a new member to the Specter/Ross team.

"Can't you just accept that my associate is getting better at his job? Goodnight Louis. I'll be having fun with your wife," Harvey said, shoving his phone back into his pocket. Max had aimlessly began to draw random patterns on his chest, and to Harvey, it felt good to hold someone without the desire for sex.

"I didn't know I married Louis," her voice said, muffled by his skin.

Harvey let out another hearty laugh, "You're intriguing, you know that?" He told her, as he turned his head to look at the woman sitting on his lap.

She lifted her head up to look into his eyes, "Beautiful, gorgeous, stunning... but intriguing?"

Harvey just smiled.

"It satisfies me."

She giggled, "I can concur..."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Ugh, I'm starting to love them together.<em>**

**_Don't forget to review!_**

**_xoxo N._**


	9. Orange Juice

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**I apologize for the lack of updates lately, I just wanted to catch up on my writing before I went psychotic, trying to scrap up a new chapter without thinking it through. BUT as a token of my 'delay', I will warn you that the next chapter is going to be HOT. Extremely, unadulterated, pure hotness. I will mention again in the next chapter that it will be rated M, so do not say I didn't warn you. I thought of changing the rating, but that to me doesn't sit well. **_

_**THOUGHTS ON THURSDAY: I liked that they made a focus on Louis, since he's always a little hidden in the back. Harvey/Mike is always perfect, and my favourite scene was when Harvey was teasing Mike about the corporate card. Just shows the playful and fun side of their relationship. Loved the Mike/Rachel interaction, but the only thing that got me angry was that Donna didn't have many scenes! Sure, she had the fun one with Harvey, but Donna is kick-ass, and they need to show it more.**_

_**Anyways, hope you enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Disclaiming that Suits isn't mine.**_

* * *

><p>A banging at her door caused Max to jostle awake. Looking outside, she saw the sun had just rose, telling her it was almost six thirty. The banging continued as Max reluctantly dragged her sorry ass out of bed, and strutted to her front door in a very lazy manner. Not even bother to check who it was from the peephole, she undid the chain and opened the door, letting Mike in.<p>

"Bacon with french toast, right?"

Mike stopped in his tracks.

"Eleven months and I've still never been able to surprise you," Mike said, sitting on one of the bar stools behind the island, still in his pajamas. He looked at Max completely now. She looked remarkably happier, with her hair still damp from her very early-in-the-morning shower, and her flushed face. Her large t-shirt, tight shorts, and tube socks caused Mike to laugh, knowing that wasn't her typical outfit to wear to bed. She put effort into her outfit, which meant she still had enough energy to even bother to dress up for bed. Which only meant one thing...

"You didn't sleep with Harvey."

She nodded as she poured him some orange juice, "You're a smart man."

"Why didn't you?" He asked unconsciously.

She threw her head back, "Are we really talking about my sex life with your boss?"

Mike choked on the orange juice, "Yeah, you know what, nevermind. Whatever you do just... don't tell me anything."

Max smirked as she tended to the bacon.

"Before you say anything, if I did sleep with Harvey, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to walk straight for days."

"I don't want to hear this right now," Mike said, shoving his fingers in his ears.

The woman laughed as she mixed the eggs, "Your immaturity is emerging, Michael."

"Your promiscuity is flourishing, Maxine," Mike said as he got up to fill his glass again. As Mike was opening the fridge, a thought hit him.

"When are you going to tell Harvey about your parents?"

Max tensed up at the thought of telling Harvey about her parents. Shaking the thought, she continued cooking,"I don't know Mike. Maybe he won't be curious about them."

"Well, he will be," the blond said, leaning against the fridge, "Harvey likes to know everything."

"Knowledge is power," Max said, placing the french toast on the plate.

"And Harvey likes his power," Mike said as he was going to pour his glass of orange juice. As he was holding the plastic jug, it slipped out of his hands, pouring all over the counters and the floor. The jug smacked on the floor, cracking in several places. The cup that Mike was pouring into tipped over, knocking over its contents while rolling onto the floor, smashing into pieces. Mike stood there for those three seconds with a shocked look on his face. Max on the other hand was ready to knock him over the head.

"You dropped your pants, and now you dropped the orange juice. There is no way in _hell_ that I am letting you hold my first born."

* * *

><p>It was as if Donna could feel that the phone call that was ringing through was Oliver Klades. She hit the '<em>Line 2<em>' button, picking up the phone, "Pearson Hardman, Harvey Specter's office, how may I direct your call?"

"Hi Donna, it's Oliver Klades."

Donna mentally sighed, "What can I do for you, Mister Klades?"

"It's Karly; she's refused to testify."

That got Donna's attention. If Karly didn't testify, then this case went down the drain, and that would royally piss Harvey off.

"Harvey isn't in right now Mister Klades, but the moment he is, I'll let him know immediately."

Her response was the dial-tone from the other line.

Speaking of the Devil, her boss began walking towards his office, when she noticed there was something different. Donna knew the moods of Harvey Specter: the average 'I'm-better-than-you' persona which was almost the only emotion she saw, the excited mode where he was coming off a high of bringing in a new client, frustrated at Mike, or angry to the point where Donna had to cancel a meeting. So when Harvey walked into Pearson Hardman the next morning, she was shocked to find another mood to Harvey, and dare she utter the word, it was genuine happiness. He was giving compliments to passing people, and the more Donna noticed this, the more she realized that her boss was in a really good mood. It wasn't like he forgot to make a comment on how Louis forgot his Viagra in the men's washroom, but he seemed to have more spring in his step, and Donna didn't know if she should be worried about him, or just accept it and add it to the mood list. Then she thought against it. Harvey was happier than he usually was... and on a Monday too.

"Good Morning Donna, has Julian Satan called yet?"

Julian Satin, or more commonly known as Julian Satan, was the most ruthless and heartless business man in most of Manhattan. Along with his brother, Logan Satin, he owned sixty eight percent of the high-rises, and eighty one person of the industrial buildings in the city. He was very powerful, and very rich, but also a blood-sucking monster who went through secretaries like Mike went through Red Bull. Not a sexual person, per se, he was just rude and demeaning towards all of his employees, with the exception of his close right hand men. Pearson Hardman had the unfortunate task of representing him in every lawsuit that was thrown at him. The only positive side is that when Julian paid his legal fees, he tipped the firm with enough money to create another firm. It wasn't generosity; it was a reminder to not double cross him. Mike had told Harvey that Max absolutely loathed the man, yet he wouldn't tell him why.

She smiled, handing him a file, "Not yet, but I can see when he's coming in."

He laughed while walking into his office, "Probably sucking the lives from kittens."

Donna didn't know if she should open her mouth, but when Harvey looked up at her face, he knew that she knew he was in a different mood. She was going to say something when her phone rang, and she turned to pick it up, continuing with the day's work. Harvey, on the other hand, was desperately trying to focus on work, and not the brunette a few hallways down. It was a shock to Harvey that he was this happy, and he didn't even sleep with Max. Would people start noticing the change in his demeanour? Possibly not Louis; when Harvey saw the short man his mood always turn sour and berating. But as of that moment, he was happy. He was going to be even happier when the guys from the mailroom started their rounds.

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><p>The hazel-eyed brunette was going to strangle almost every guy in the room. So what happened when she decided to wear a button down dress shirt with her black pin-stripped pencil skirt? Almost every man forgot that they treated her like she was lower than them, and now realized that she was the desire of every man in the room. She was definitely going to rip someone's head off. It was entirely her fault though; she was in such a good mood that she was overtly friendly to everyone. Mike, being ignorant as he was, popped a headphone in each of his ears, and tuned out the world around him. Now Max had no one to complain to, and was forced to work. As she turned the page on a patten, the wheels of the mail carts squeaked as they were pushed from the mail room suckers. She never received mail from one of the workers, so it was a surprise that one of them stopped in front of her. She thought that the boy was oogling her from the neck down, but he was going over a clipboard, striking a pen along the page. He reached down from below the cart, pulling a box covered in silver wrapping paper, and placing it on her desk, with a small white card attached to the top. Curious, Max cautiously lifted the card up, noticing there was nothing on the front. Opening it, she read the words on the inside.<p>

'_Max; to soften the blow._'

She smiled. _Harvey_...

By now, Mike had noticed what was going on at Max's desk and decided to investigate the whole situation. He hovered over her shoulder as she read the card. Wordlessly, Max handed Mike the card she gave him, curious as to who sent her the gift. Reading the item in his hand, Mike knew almost instantly what was wrapped up inside the very expensive silver paper. He almost told her that this was his whole idea, but his best friend was a little happier since Thursday, and Mike wasn't just going to rain on her parade. The woman carefully ripped across the top of the box, revealing the cardboard shoe box with the white print sticking out. Max felt her heart drop. _There was no way in hell he bought me these_... ripping off the rest of the paper, more of her co-workers became curious. Even several of the other workers and secretaries stuck their head in the work room to see what was in the shiny silver wrapping paper, including Donna, who was beginning to become suspicious. When the entire silver was gone, she pulled the lid off the box, which nearly gave her a heart attack.

Mike chuckled, "I'm guessing those are nice."

"_Expensive_ is what I first thought," she said, pulling out the inky black stiletto. The red coming from the soles could have been seen from across the room. _They're gorgeous_, she said, examining them completely. She was sad though, after deciding that she was going to give the Christian Louboutins back to him, no questions asked. They were indeed gorgeous, but Max could have bought them on her own. She knew it was a nice gesture from Harvey, but she was going to give it back. She couldn't accept a gift this extravagant. _The thought is the only thing that counts_, she mantra'd in her head.

The booming sound of Harvey Specter's voice caused everyone to scatter.

"If no one's dead, I don't see the point of everyone standing around, not getting their work done," Harvey dead-panned, forcing everyone to turn around and run to their cubicles. Carefully making sure no one was looking, his eyes fell upon the brunette, who had her elbows on her desk with her hands interlocked, supporting her head sitting on top. She placed the left shoe on the top of the wall of the cubicle to make it seem like she was looking at the expensive item. In reality, she was looking into Harvey's eyes, mentally scowling him for his kind gift. Harvey knew instantly that she liked the gift, but knew she thought it was too much. Yet to her dismay, he wasn't going to accept the present back. What the hell was Harvey going to do with a pair of Christian Louboutins? To everyone around them, it seemed that Harvey's face was stone-cold straight. But Max was the only one that saw the corner of his mouth turn up a bit as he sent a subtle wink her way. As Harvey turned his back, he faintly heard the sexy giggle from behind him, and knew that he was _never_ going to accept those shoes back from her.

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><p><em><strong>Don't forget to review!<strong>_

_**xoxo N.**_


	10. Misdemeanors

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_****WARNING**** - This chapter contains explicit sexual content. Not recommended for those who feel uncomfortable with this type of content. If you wish to skip this chapter, feel free to do so. _**

**_Now that I have your attention, just reminding you all that this chapter is rated M. So far, this will be the only chapter with this rating, but if anything changes, I will let you know ahead of time, instead of just dropping a bombshell._**

**_Hope you all enjoy!_**

**_P.S. Suits is Aaron Korsh's._**

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><p>It was getting late, Harvey decided, as he was going over his final case that he had sitting on his desk. He sighed in frustration, looking at his phone. It wasn't usually like Max to take so long in answering back. Hell, it wasn't usually like her to not answer back at all. Leaving his dining room table, he moved towards his collection of wine, sitting in its nook in the wall.<p>

As he stood there, he couldn't help but wonder how big Max's wine collection was. It was almost two months since they've been seeing each other, and she hadn't said a word about her vast wine collection, or how her eccentric selection of furniture looked, now that she had gotten a raise. Harvey smirked, Max was _on fire_ lately. Everyday it seems she brought more than one client into the firm. Some of them were fairy wealthy people, while she happened to snag the few millionaires in the process. She was closing deals from all different sides of the firm, and Harvey was almost intimidated by her. But as a result of her increase in work was the decrease of Harvey's sex life. No longer did he spend the night with different beautiful women, but actually with one beautiful woman, either going over cases and scenarios, or watching a movie on his living room floor, snuggled together. By the end of the night, both of them were exhausted. Satisfied, but exhausted. Very recently though, the only time he saw Max was on his lunch breaks, and that annoyed him. After all, he was a man that was sexually active for quite some time before Max came around. Finally deciding to pass on the wine, he began walking towards his bedroom, taking off his tie that he had unconsciously kept on. As soon as he made it to the entrance of his bedroom, a knock was heard from the door.

Curious, Harvey walked towards his front door, undoing his cuffs on his sleeve. As he continued, he quickly looked through the peephole. Finally understanding why Max wasn't answering his texts, he quickly unlocked his door to reveal the woman herself. She was standing in a long trench coat, with her hair unusually curled and primed. She smiled at Harvey as she walked into his home, the heels of her Christian Louboutins clicking off the expensive hardwood. He noticed that she wore the shoes. The ones she swore she would never wear. The shoes he bought her. As that was odd, he noticed that she was also _oddly_ dressed.

"Why hello Missus Smith, come for a good time?" Harvey shot out as he shut his front door, locking the deadbolt.

She sighed, "No actually, I was looking for a second opinion."

Harvey's curiosity drew a conclusion, "Really?"

"Yes really, from co-worker to co-worker."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, afraid of what he might do.

"What is this case that you so _desperately_ need a second opinion on?"

Maxine smiled as she undid the belt of her trench coat. Slowly and deliberately, Max unbuttoned her jacket. As the last button popped off, she pulled away her jacket, revealing the royal purple corset. It hugged every curve of her body. Her garters were a lighter purple, attaching itself to the corset. Harvey almost died at that moment, letting out a long and agonizing gasp as Max dropped her trench coat on the floor, standing there in the one thing Harvey Specter could only fantasize about. This girl was a _tease_ for God's sake. She knew he would have to give in now. And of all the colours to choose...

"Would this be considered a misdemeanor?" She asked innocently.

Harvey, startled and completely aroused, walked towards her, pulling her towards him.

"Very," he said, admiring her brassier.

She smiled, "I know we've been a little stressed lately. But right now, there isn't a thing to distract us."

"But the office," he said, running his hands down her body.

"Mike's getting all your calls tonight, if anything happens," Max whispered, unbuttoning his dress shirt.

Harvey realized what she was saying.

"Then there's nothing stopping us."

"Exactly."

In an instant, Harvey's lips were on Max's, silencing anything else either of them were going to say. Max wrapped her arms around Harvey's neck, lifting herself up, and easily slipping off the expensive shoes. As her feet hit the ground, the couple began making their way towards the bedroom, Harvey's shirt falling onto the side lamp. As they entered the bedroom, Harvey ripped off his undershirt, throwing in unceremoniously onto his floor. Each kiss was furious and passionate. Their tongues darted deep, exploring each others mouths, devouring each other. Max furiously was working on his belt, until Harvey's hands were placed on top of hers, easily unhooking the expensive item. She held his face, pulling him down as she sat on his bed. He hovered over her, molding his lips to hers. He could feel his lips start to tingle from the force they were using against each other. Pulling away, Harvey stood, and began to remove his pants. Max watched in anticipation as she realized his legs were as built and toned as his upper torso. She sighed deeply when she noticed that he was wearing the sexiest pair of boxers she ever laid eyes on. She watched in lust as he approached her, hungry with raw animalism. His mouth found his way in the crook of her neck, wanting to hear the moan he so desperately needed. She was dominating in the workplace, but there was no way in _hell_ she was going to dominate tonight. No, he wanted to make her moan, and squirm, and cry, and whine, and yell, and anything else she would do because of the things that he would do to her.

His mouth got lower, suckling on her collarbone, enjoying the shallow breaths coming from Max. As his lips grazed between her breasts, Max was beginning to emit low moans. When she knew he was preoccupied, she pulled him up towards her, turning him over so that she straddled him. Looking deep into his yearning eyes, she undid the latches on her corset slowly, watching every emotion crossing his face; salaciousness, thirst, need, want. Harvey groaned with impatience as she removed her corset, revealing her beautiful bust. They were the most perfect sets of breasts Harvey had seen. Sitting up, Harvey enclosed one of her breasts in his mouth, clutching Max closer to him. With one hand, he slipped his fingers under the purple fabric and slowly worked on her warmth. Max was exuding audible moans of delight. As his tongue darted across her swollen nipple the same time his finger grazed over her clit, Max clenched onto Harvey's hair, arching her back. He could feel her warmth swelling, yet Max wasn't giving in. She didn't want to let go of the dominance she had over him. Her moans were contained, but Harvey knew she was dying to scream out in ecstasy. Harvey lightly bit on her bosom, receiving another moan from the beauty on his lap. He suckled deeply, wanting her to submit. Finally freeing her from the pleasurable torture, Harvey kissed her lips passionately as she lightly pushed him down on the mattress. Max suckled on Harvey's neck, hearing his exasperated sigh. Her hands slowly moved over his boxers, towards his manhood, when Harvey grabbed her hand. He turned her over softly, locking her hand above her head. With a devilish smirk, he leaned to whisper in her ear.

"The only person who'll be moaning tonight is you."

He slowly made his way down her arched body, trailing wet kisses down her skin. As he reached her lacy purple panties, his hands locked onto either side of her lingerie, pulling it down her leg and off her body. In that moment, Harvey realized that he had Max completely naked and horny in his bed. Kneeling down, kisses began to trail along Max's inner thigh. He turned to look up at her. Max, perched on her elbows, had her appearance ruffled due to her arousal. He loved that she was on the brinks of being unhinged, and it was all because of him. Holding her hips, he began to trail his tongue closer to her centre, hearing Max's quick breaths filled his ears with delight. Just as he was close to her core, he looked back at her, noticing her breasts rise and fall in readiness. He knew that she ached for him. Harvey smiled, before his mouth enclosed her. In an instant, Max fell to the mattress, finally rid herself of her dominance, submitting to Harvey. She let him pleasure her, and when she gave into submissiveness, Max felt a rush of euphoria hit her, and almost every sound poured out of her throat. Her moan was loud and drawn out as Harvey suckled onto her womanhood. His tongue darted quickly over her clit, and Max's moans turned into screams of pleasure. Her fists clutched the bedsheets roughly, whitening her knuckles. Harvey could feel her shake with pleasure under his hands. Letting go of one of her hips, Harvey's fingers found their way into her, preparing her for him. He refused to stop, nor slow down, and her screams turned into whimpers of ecstasy as she still squirmed under his control. Harvey felt her give in to him, and the dominance he had over her pleased him even more. Her cries and moans and whimpers were cherished to Harvey; knowing he caused her to do these things only strained him even further.

Finally giving Max her freedom, he lingered over her, reaching into his nightstand. He grabbed a row of condoms, easily ripping one of them off with his teeth. Looking back at Max, he could see the cloud of desire and excitement in her eyes. She smiled at him, her sign that she was ready. Harvey made quick work of his boxers, exposing himself and his rather large counterpart. Max caught a glance at Harvey's length with satisfaction and worry. Harvey caught onto the look on her face with a smile.

"Too much for you?" He said with a hint of cockiness.

She laughed, "It might be."

Harvey began to position himself between her, feeling her stomach against his. He placed his tip just in front of her entrance, readying himself. He felt a hand clutch his chin, bringing his eyes to meet hers. Her eyes, Harvey saw, held the vulnerability that she exposed to him. Never, had Harvey seen someone as open to her as she was, and he knew that she was special. She could see the control in his eyes, knowing that he was dominate right now. His eyes also held acceptance, knowing what he was doing, and the aftermath. He had never felt this much passion and emotion with another person. He could feel their chemistry, their intensity, their bodies almost molding together. The lust filled the air. Harvey was unsure if he should continue, until Max reached up and kissed him lightly. Never leaving her eyes, Harvey entered her, both of them gasping out in delight.

Max knew in an instant she would never be the same, and she was glad for that. To Harvey, it was something he had never felt before with anyone. Harvey entered her again, with the same amount of passion. He picked up the pace, never letting Max's eyes wander from his. The intensity in their stare only made the desire better. With each thrust, Max could feel she was coming undone under Harvey's strength. He moved faster, and more powerful than any other man that Max had been with. She had never felt this kind of pleasure from anyone. Harvey was rough and passionate with her, yet he was so intense and caring, she couldn't contain her arousal. Harvey never had someone who was so powerful become so vulnerable in his arms. He knew that giving him the dominance he wanted wasn't easy for her, he knew to be careful. His thrusts became more powerful, and Max's screams rose as she arched her back in bliss. Harvey, uncharacteristic to himself, emitted moans from his throat. The intensity between them grew with each of Harvey's deliberate strokes. They both met at the pinocle of their orgasms, almost frozen in utterly pure joy. He slowly fell, causing Max to straighten out her back as Harvey laid on top of her. He remained in her as their breaths filled the room. Harvey rested on his arms as he slowly extracted himself from her warmth, falling onto his side. Max turned her body towards him as a bead of sweat fell off her temple. For the first time after making love, Harvey pulled his partner closer to him, holder her close as she snuggled to his chest.

"You find your second opinion valuable?" He asked, kissing her head.

She laughed, tilting her head to look into his eyes.

"More than you know."

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><p>Mike's fist shook the blue door as the man himself was waiting for his best friend to answer her door. It was extremely late at night, and he knew Max would be pissed at him for waking her up this late, but she wasn't answering her cell. Every time he called it went straight to voicemail, causing Mike to worry. It wasn't like Maxine to just not answer his calls. She always answered her calls, and she always answered her door. Mike knew he shouldn't be worried, Max could take care of himself. But this wasn't normally Max's schedule. Plus, Mike was freaking out; the day that he had been dreading was coming up soon, and he wanted to talk it out with Max, making sure that he was fine on that day.<p>

He should have asked Max where she was going before she left the office. She left earlier than she usually did, since she had been bringing clients in from left and right. Mike was trying to ask her if they could have hung out later on in the night, but she shook her head, knowing what he'd say. To make matters worse, Harvey also left early, causing him to work on the case by himself, without guidance. He also wasn't answering his phone.

Mike's hand froze mid-knock.

Harvey wasn't answering his phone. Max wasn't answering her phone.

Coincidence?

The light-brown haired man laughed without humour.

_Took them long enough_, he thought as he was unlocking his front door, coming up with sarcastic sexual rebuttals for the lovely couple.

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><p><em><strong>Don't forget to review!<strong>_

_**xoxo N.**_


	11. Babe

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**So just to clarify, Max and Harvey did the deed, sealed the **__**deal**__**, took the turkey out of the oven... you know what I mean. If you happened to skip over the chapter, the story is two months later. This chapter is important though, so don't forget to review (:**_

_**Hope you enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Suits is not mine**_

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><p>The sun shone brightly at his eyes as Harvey woke up to a beautiful day in Manhattan. The second he woke up, he had never felt so good in his life. The previous night had been better than he imagined it, and Harvey had a very active imagination. With his eyes closed, he stretched to the other side of the bed, expecting to feel the warm skin of Max, when in reality, he came in contact with cold sheets. His eyes shot open, realizing that Max was <em>not<em> in his bed. _She wouldn't have left_, Harvey thought frantically. For the first time, Harvey hated waking up alone. He was more scared, wondering how Max could have left after such a great night.

As he was thinking the worst, his other senses kicked in. From the kitchen, Harvey could faintly smell the aroma of the eggs and sausage that he bought a few days prior to the morning. Curious, Harvey quickly slipped on a fresh pair of boxers and a pair of sweatpants, exiting his bedroom. The sight in front of him could have melted his heart. Max had been working over the stove, making what appeared to be breakfast. In Harvey's eyes, that was the greatest sight in the world; homemade food made by the most perfect woman in the world. Plus, it even made it better that the only thing she was wearing was_his_ dress shirt.

He slowly walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. As he rested his head on her shoulder, Max quickly turned to him, kissing him sweetly on the cheek.

"Good morning," she said.

He turned and smiled, giving her a soft kiss.

"Good morning to you too," he said, snuggling closer to her.

Max could see that this side of Harvey was only for her eyes to see. There was no way Harvey was aware that he was falling in love with Max. She could tell, but yet Max didn't dare tell him something that might scare him. But she knew, absolutely she knew, that she was starting to falling in love with Harvey Specter.

"You have no idea how good that smells," Harvey said, his voice muffled by her shoulder.

"I think I do," she said, placing a lid on the frying pan.

She turned in his arms, snaking her hands around his neck. He unconsciously pulled her closer to him, and Max couldn't help but giggle.

"What?" He asked innocently.

She smiled at him.

"I just realized that I was looking at the real Harvey Specter."

Harvey knowingly smiled, cockiness ensuring, "Do you like this side better?"

She leaned in to kiss him, "Absolutely."

"Can I ask you something?" Harvey said, still holding her in his arms.

"Anything," she told him sweetly, combing a hand through his hair.

He remembered on their first date, Mike told him that she would answer any questions he asked, right?

"Why don't you ever talk about yourself?"

On the outside, Max played off her reaction in a cool manner, but on the inside she was having a meltdown. She'd been constantly avoiding this conversation with everybody that asked her. The only person to know why was Mike. She knew why she could trust him with her secret though; they had something in common.

"What do you mean?" She said slowly pulling away, walking towards the fridge.

"You know," Harvey said leaning against the counter, "About your family, and how you became a lawyer. You're always at peace when you are sitting on the balcony, and I wanted to know why."

Max just shrugged her shoulders, "I just like the city."

Harvey got agitated. He knew instantly that she was hiding something.

"Really, that's it?" He said crossing his arms.

"That's it," Max said, looking for the cream for her coffee.

The apartment was quiet for a moment.

"Why are you lying?" He said in a very serious tone.

Max held her eyes shut as she faced the fridge. She didn't like lying to Harvey.

"I'm not," she said shutting the door, holding the cream in her hand.

"Like hell you're not. I could tell if you were lying with my eyes closed. Now I may not be chatty about my family too, but at least you know about them. I don't know who your parents are or what their names are or if you have any siblings-"

"Harvey, just not right now. Maybe another time." She said, mixing her coffee.

His hand clasped the cup, placing it on the counter behind her.

"Max, listen to me. I don't hide anything from you. So why should you hide things from me?"

"Because it's my own damn business, that's why!" She yelled, pushing past him to stand beside the dining table, clutching the sides.

It didn't take someone of Harvey's calibre to notice that Max's family was a touchy subject. Was her personal life that screwed up that she wasn't even going to mumble a word about her family? Or was it that she didn't trust him?

"Max, if you don't trust me then-"

She chuckled without humour, cutting him off, "Harvey, last night should have established that I trust you with every fibre in my being."

Trying to look concerned more than overjoyed, Harvey asked, "Then what is it?"

She sighed. _Might as well tell him_.

She turned around, and Harvey saw the vulnerability again.

"I don't want you thinking any less of me."

Harvey laughed, walking towards her before placing his hands on her hips, "There is no way in hell that would happen. Even if I did, Mike would still be taking the cake."

He nudged her with his nose, "I'd never think less of you, Maxine. Well, only time I'd think less of you is if you were wearing _less_ clothing."

She shook her head as she smiled. Only Harvey would pop a joke in a serious conversation. She thought about it. Why not tell Harvey? Mike told her how Harvey kept secrets so secret that you wouldn't even know there was one to begin with. Was it so bad that Harvey would know about her past?

She swallowed before speaking, "Julian Satin."

"Satan? One of the clients from the firm," Harvey was trying to put the pieces together.

"He's my dad."

_Oh_, Harvey said before his mind went blank. Now it made sense. _If my father was Julian Satin I'd probably be a bit ashamed to tell anyone that_.

"Sorry, old habits-"

She cut him off with a wave of her hand, "I've hear worse."

"So, he's your dad? That's not...so bad, Max," he said, trying to change the conversation.

The look on Max's face meant she had more to say.

"He married my mom when she was young. He wasn't much older, though. He was already rich, but so was my mother. She came from a family who owned a bike factory for Schwinn. Her parents died, leaving the factory to her and her sister. After her sister ran away to London, she worked at the company until she married my father. From there, she just oversaw what the workers did, never getting her hands to work again."

"And your mom's name is..."

"Jocelyn Harris. Jojo, actually."

"What happened between your parents?" Harvey never saw a ring on Julian's finger.

Max sighed, thinking deeply, "There is one thing Julian hates in the whole entire world, even more than losing a deal."

"Which is?" Harvey said, afraid of the answer.

"Children," Max frowned.

She wouldn't let Harvey react, "You have to be a specific type of twisted to divorce your wife while she was pregnant. My mom refused an abortion, and my father refused to stay with her. Not only that, her attorney was corrupt, robbing her of money. The factory had to be shut down because of him. She didn't sign a pre-nup, and he accused her of cheating. Somehow the courts believed him instead of her. It didn't help that her lawyer was on Dear Ol' Dad's payroll," she said, moving into the kitchen, "But after I was born, Daddy Dearest was heard of once in a blue moon, and life was good for my mom and I. Every summer night, my mom and I would climb up to the top of our building and just sit there, looking around the city. Manhattan looked so much bigger back then. She told me a story every night, and I can remember every single one she told me."

Harvey understood why Max loved the city skyline so much. It reminded her of her mother.

"She got a great job working as a secretary at Jackson Fortworth. That's why I got my job there; they knew and loved my mom," she scrunched her nose at the thought of her old law firm, now her rival, "It payed the bills, and then some that was more than some. She brought me to work sometimes, until I reached fourteen, and I ended up loving the atmosphere. I thought being a lawyer was cool, but I never pictured myself as one."

"What changed?" Harvey asked.

Max became solemn.

"When my mom caught a bullet."

Harvey, appalled, let her continue.

"I was seventeen when the police knocked on my front door. She was pronounced at the scene," Max said, all emotion leaving her voice, "It was a mugging gone bad. She never stayed out that late, but she had errands to run and lost track of time," this time she looked into Harvey's eyes, "The police called my father, as he became my legal guardian, and do you know what he did? He put me in the system," she said, rage filling her voice, "I know it was only for a month before I turned eighteen, but I guess he wanted nothing to do with me. He didn't even bother coming down to the station to pick me up. He just threw me away like trash..." she closed her eyes, hoping the pain of the thought would go away.

Harvey's arms were comforting as he wrapped her in a hug, "I'm sorry."

She sighed into his chest, "I don't want you to ever apologize for something you never did."

She pulled back slightly, "If he didn't take all of her money, then maybe she wouldn't have to been struggling as a single parent to support her child, and maybe she would have still been alive. That's why I wanted to become a lawyer. I'm doing it for people like my mother, and for the kids like me."

The man holding her saw a whole new side of Maxine. She was driven for the right cause, and Harvey couldn't help that his girl, _his _girl was one of, no, _the_ most inspiring person he had ever come across. "You're amazing, Max. Kicking ass and taking names all in the sake of getting vengeance for your mother is pretty hardcore," Harvey whispered to her.

She smiled brightly, "Damn straight."

Harvey's heart quickened at the thought. _His girl_... Harvey never thought of Max that way. Sure, she was significant in his life now, but to actually call her his girl? Another thought hit him; was he her man? Obviously Max cared about him, he could see that. But did she hold him up to the importance he held her?

"You know you're stuck with me now," Harvey said holding her.

"Oh, the horror," Max said rolling her eyes.

Harvey just waited in patience.

Max pulled back a bit. Harvey was serious.

"Harvey Specter. Are you telling me you want to go steady?"

Harvey laughed, "I thought it was obvious, Maxine."

She was still a little curious if he was afraid. This was after all the man who loved woman like he loved winning. Was he doing this because he wanted to prove something? Or that he actually was only trying to prove that he was committed to her, just as she was committed to him.

"I'm not going to let you go that easily," Harvey said as he held her face in his hands, "Don't ever think that for a second."

She could see the sincerity and vulnerability in his eyes, and it almost made Max tear up a bit. Something inside of her knew that no one had seen this side of Harvey, maybe not even Harvey himself. Who was she to question his ulterior motive, if he had one? Maybe Harvey wasn't philophobic anymore. Or at least he was trying not to be.

"Well I'm not going anywhere."

It was as if Max told Harvey was now co-owner of the Yankees. His eyes lit up, causing him to place a wide smile on his face. He leaned in, capturing Max's lips with his own. She cuddled towards his body, holding his neck as his warm hands still held her cheeks.

The ding from the oven had interrupted their perfect moment. Sighing, Max began to move towards muffins until Harvey stopped her.

"I got it babe," he told her.

Max stopped dead in her tracks. _Babe? Since when did Harvey say things like babe?_ Knowing that she probably had Harvey wrapped around her finger, she began to move towards the island where Harvey kept his plates. As she moved her legs, she couldn't help but notice that she was walking a bit funny. Almost instantly, she knew that the cause of this was from the man beside her. As she was realizing this, she couldn't help but know the comments Mike was going to say to her all day. It was worth it though. Max finally told Harvey everything, and he wasn't running to the door. It made her that much more confident in him. She sighed, placing the food onto the plates just as Harvey swooped her in his arms, planting a quick kiss on her lips before grabbing the plates and bringing them to the dining table. She shrilled in laughter. If she didn't like him so much she would have sued him for stealing kisses.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Klades, I don't know what the problem is; you won in court, and Karly agreed to testify again," Donna said as the man was screaming at her through the phone. Everything was finally going good for the man and his family; they beat the injunction and Harvey managed to convince Oliver's daughter to take the stand again. Yet he felt the need to call every day to complain, and that made Donna's day a little bit worse. What was worse is that she hadn't seen Harvey yet, and he was fifteen minutes late than his usual late.<p>

"_You're sure that Harvey has this in the bank? There is no way that we're going to lose this case, right? They keep pushing the court date back, and I don't know if Karly can take the wait any longer._"

Donna sighed as she leaned onto her desk, "Mr. Klades, Harvey is committed to finding justice for your daughter. He is going to win this case in court, and you and your family can finally rest easy."

Oliver Klades sighed into the receiver, "_Thank you Donna. Send my regards to Harvey._"

_When I see him_, Donna thought bitterly as she said goodbye to Harvey's client on the telephone. As she placed the phone back in its spot, she could hear Harvey's voice coming down the hallway. Looking up, she noticed almost instantly that her boss was emanating a huge wave of happiness. He complimented everyone he saw. Even Louis got the good part of Harvey, realizing that his co-worker hadn't commented on his manhood or his "wife". After two weeks into their _relationship_, Donna figured out why Harvey was happy most of the time. At first she thought Max was after his money, which was typical. But soon she realized that Max was wealthy on her own; the Chanel suit skirt, the Jimmy-Choo kitten heels, the Hermès bag she had brought into work one day. Then she thought that she was sleeping with Harvey to get to the top, but she was conquering Pearson Hardman all on her own, and she was pretty sure that she hadn't slept with Harvey. So maybe she was in it for love. But Donna knew one thing; Max made Harvey happy. And when Harvey was happy, everyone around him would be in a good mood.

Harvey's smile plastered his face, "Donna, you look ravishing today."

She mirrored his smile, "Looks like lover boy is in a good mood."

The secretary was waiting for the powerful lawyer to come back with a quick remark, but he just smiled and entered his office. Donna, half-shocked and half-amazed that Harvey didn't even bother to say a comeback, left her cubicle to track down a certain brunette. Passing by her empty cubicle, Donna spotted her in one of the print rooms, alone. She quickly rushed into the room, turned around and locked the door. Max, curious as to why Donna locked them into the print room, turned to face the strawberry blond.

"I was onto you the moment you set your sights on Harvey. Now I don't know what your motives are, so you better watch yourself. If you hurt Harvey, I will rip out your pretty little throat with a claw, you got that?"

Max, unsure how to react, only nodded.

Donna's face became soft instantly, "Also, I just want to say thank you."

The brunette jerked her head back, "For what?"

"This is the first time I've seen Harvey this happy. I know you've had some part in it, so thank you, for making him happy," Donna said, placing a hand on Max's arm before leaving the print room. Max, confused yet impressed, grabbed the files she had been copying, and left the print room to go to her desk. As she passed by her best friend's desk, Mike happened to notice that Max tilted to the side a bit as she walked. Not only that, she kept her thighs together, moving them as little as possible. As she sat at her desk, Mike had a smirk on his face.

"What do you want, Ross?" She said, looking down at her files.

Mike shrugged, "Just noticed you weren't walking straight."

Her eyes met his goofy grin from under her eyelashes, mirroring his all-knowing smile. Before Max was going to say anything, Rachel walked into the room and made a bee-line towards Mike's desk, causing Max to suddenly become very interested in her new case. Mike finally noticed the dark skinned beauty approaching his desk, causing him to go into a frantic state. Rachel leaned over the divider, whispering to Mike.

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

Shooting out of his cubicle, Mike began following Rachel as she walked unusually slow. Once out of the associate office, both of them began to stroll around aimlessly, Rachel with her arms crossed, following her feet with her eyes, and Mike with his hands stuffed into his pockets, noticing the carpet was very expensive.

"Look," Rachel said without stopping, "I know I've been avoiding you lately, I just... don't know what to do, Mike."

Mike nodded in agreement, "I know, Rachel. It's confusing for me too."

A few months ago, Rachel had finally agreed to go on a date with Mike, and another one, and soon enough they were the topic at the water cooler. They managed to keep their relationship out of the office, but not their break-up. They had been fighting during the end of their relationship, to the point that they were screaming in the break room. Everyone in the office stuck their head in the doorway, including Harvey and Louis. Jessica was thankfully at the meeting and no one mentioned it to her. They broke up, but not before Rachel hurled a coffee pot at Mike's head, smashing against the wall on the opposite side. Ever since that day, Rachel silently handed notes to other associates to give to him, while Mike steered clear of the paralegal offices.

"But," Mike said, "Maybe we could...try again? But this time we use plastic coffee pots."

The brunette smiled, "Yeah. That sounds good to me."

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><p><em><strong>Don't forget to review!<strong>_

_**xoxo N.**_


	12. Tough

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_I know it has taken me a while to update, but I am trying to create a good quality story, and if I don't take my time on it, giving it my all, I would feel almost ashamed and disappointed in myself that I just gave you guys a half-ass job. So, consider it a gift._**

**_ON THURSDAY'S EPISODE: YES MEGHAN MARKLE! Rachel was an absolute vision in this episode. She was amazing, and such a bad-ass when it came to her scene with Rick Hoffman (the ever talented actor who plays Louis). Harvey was his usual Bond self, and come on, Donna's scenes with Mike just made the show that much better._**

**_Just to let you all know that I just noticed Max is not in this chapter, but mentioned a lot, which is weird..._**

**_Hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

**_P.S. Suits belong to the USA Network_**

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><p>Hanna, one of the secretaries had rushed towards Maria, another secretary in the firm, placing a note in her hand. Panicked, Maria then swivelled in her chair to face Arthur, one of the mailroom workers, to pass on the note. Arthur, who happened to push his cart towards Andrew, his fellow mailroom worker, read the note and gave it to him. Andrew gave the note to Zachary, an associate, who gave it to Matthew, who gave it to Ezra, who gave it to Georgia, who gave it to Nadia, who gave it to Sophia, who gave it to Walter, who gave it to Zoey, who gave it to her fellow paralegal Rachel Zane. Rachel, gasping at the note, ran as much as she could wearing high-heeled shoes. Arriving in the associates office space, she rushed to Mike's desk, practically throwing the note on his desk before turning around to return to her office. Mike, flustered, open the note quickly. In an instant his face drained colour as he got up from his desk. He walked quickly toward Donna's desk, noticing she was on the phone. He silently gave her the note before walking away. Curious, Donna opened the note, and her heart dropped.<p>

'_Jessica knows about Harvey and Max_'.

Everyone in the office knew about their relationship, except of course, Jessica Pearson. It wasn't like they pronounced it over lunch in the break room, but everyone could tell that they had a connection. Everyone could feel the tension between each other when they were in a room together. It didn't take a lawyer to read the signs; Max always was looking at him through the corner of her eye while Harvey was always stealing glances of her when she was talking to his secretary. At first, people thought that it was just a physical relationship, or just Max trying to make it to the top. But when Donna told Maria that Harvey asked her to buy a dozen lilies for Max after she missed a day at work due to a severe fever, and told her that he will deliver it _himself_, people began to realize that this wasn't a sexual relationship, yet an _actual_ relationship. No one complained about their relationship because it never got in the way of work, with the exception of Harvey's extreme happiness and Max's increase in work, which was a blessing more than a burden. So Donna prayed that Jessica wasn't angry.

She got her answer when the woman in charge of the firm dug her heels into the carpet as she stomped her way across the hallway. People began to turn and walk in the opposite way, hoping that Jessica didn't kick them in the face. She strutted past lawyers from left to right, ignoring everyone around her. Louis, who was going to gloat about a client quickly shut his mouth and darted into his office, shutting the door. Donna knew that Jessica wasn't just angry.

Jessica Pearson was pissed.

Strutting into Harvey's office, the woman shut the door behind her, causing Harvey to become anxious to wonder why his managing partner had a stick up her ass.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jessica all but screamed at her associate.

"Several things, yet I don't think they make books big enough to write it all down," Harvey said nonchalantly, throwing his file on his desk.

Jessica began to pace, "I thought that this job meant the world to you, Harvey."

"And it still does."

The black woman rose her eyebrows, "So please explain to me why you're screwing someone from the firm on company time."

Harvey's eyes widened in shock.

"Some clarification, please?"

Several of the workers at the firm slowly began to appear behind Jessica, and Harvey was still regretting the fact that at least seventy percent of his room was just windows. Jessica leaned onto the table, causing him to focus on the woman in front of him.

"Maxine Harris. Is that enough clarification?"

Before Harvey could defend himself, she continued, "Secretaries gossip, and I don't listen to it at all. But when they begin gossiping about the one man I've never heard a rumour about, I had to investigate. Out of everyone in the firm, the last person I expected to be fooling around _on company time_ would be one of my top lawyers-"

Now Harvey had to cut in, "I _never_ did anything on company time."

"So you admit it," she said crossing her arms.

_Damn it, Jessica_. He cursed himself. He was the one who taught her that trick. She thought that she could scare him, but she was talking about Max like she was just a daily screw, when really she was _much_ more than that. "I'm not denying that I've been seeing Max," he said standing up, "But I'm not fooling around with her on company time. I respect the firm just as much as she does."

"Really? So it's okay for her to sleep with you while she rides on your success, just as long as it's not on company time-"

"Max is not a slut!"

Harvey yelled, ignoring the now huge crowd on the opposite side of the glass. The tone in his voice caused Jessica's head to snap back. Had Jessica heard what she thought she did hear? Harvey was defending her and Harvey never defended someone he slept with. Sure, he'd make a quick jab, saying it was a good night, but he never defended the actual woman. Jessica Pearson never thought that she would see the day Harvey would jump through hoops for a woman.

"Oh my God," Jessica said, "You care about her."

She expected Harvey to blush or more commonly try to come up with a sarcastic remark, trying to hide the fact that he actually cared about someone, as it was visible to everyone around him. But without hesitation, Harvey looked directly at Jessica.

"Absolutely."

Half-shocked, Jessica nodded, "I can tell."

Who was Jessica to deprive Harvey from happiness?

She stood up straight, "I don't care about what goes on between you two, just as long as it stays away from the cases, and out of my firm at all times, or you won't be able to get out of bed, you got that?"

She began to walk backwards, noticing the retreating forms who just witnessed their discussion, when Harvey threw a comment that almost made her laugh.

"I think someone's already caused that, but the threat is duly noted."

* * *

><p>As Mike sat in the backseat along side Harvey, he couldn't help but think of Rachel. Where had they gone wrong in their relationship? The only thing he could think of is when she failed the LSATs after studying for six months. Rachel was devastated, and always getting angry at the little things. He tried talking to her about it, but she would shut down and yell at Mike when he tried. He thought that since she started talking to him again, that maybe she was over the test. If she was, then maybe they could work on each other again. Mike never wanted to admit it, but he missed Rachel more than he missed Jenny.<p>

"If you keep ignoring me Mike I might have to smack you."

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Mike focused on the road ahead, counting how many people were wearing the colour blue.

"You know Harvey, if it wasn't for that comment, I would have thought you _cared_."

"Remind me again why I hired you," Harvey said, ignoring Mike's comment as he was flipping through the current file.

"Because you didn't want to be charged with aiding and abetting a suspected fugitive?"

"Now Michael, do you think that low of me?"

Mike grinned, "Fine. It was because I made you smile on the inside."

"That, and I never have to take down notes anymore," Harvey said passing him the file, "Brief me again, from the top."

"Max making you forget things?" Mike asked, flipping through the file.

"No, just making sure Rachel isn't distracting you again," Harvey said, with a smirk on his face.

Mike couldn't help but laugh.

"Lawrence King, small time investor, likes to buy shares from businesses. He ended up purchasing a share from a chain of restaurants belonging to Vincent Giovinazzo III, rumoured crime boss. Arrested, but never convicted or charged. King is suing Giovinazzo under the false pretences that he was buying a share, when in reality it was going straight into his pockets."

"In other words-"

"Fraud and embezzlement," Mike said shutting the file.

The car jerked to a stop, and Mike jumped out of the car quickly. Harvey knew that Mike will always hate cars no matter what, but he never knew why. As Harvey was about to get out of the car, he heard Ray pipe in quickly.

"Be careful with this guy Harvey. You don't want to get hurt."

Harvey smirked, "I got this one Ray."

The driver was worried, "I know you could handle yourself if you got hurt."

Ray turned around in his seat to face Harvey.

"But I don't know if Maxine could handle it if you got hurt."

_Oh shit_. Harvey never thought of that. He was always sticking his neck out in situations that not only could cost him his job, but also his life. The whole debacle with Trevor was just the icing on the cake of troubles. Maybe one day he stuck his neck out too far and ended up hurting himself physically. Would Max be able to handle it? _Of course she would_, he decided, _Max isn't like other girls; she's strong enough and tough enough to deal with my crap_.

Harvey smiled at his driver, "She can handle herself, Ray. She's tough."

"Just like you?" Ray said with a hint of a grin.

The brunette shook his head.

"No. She's more than that."

* * *

><p>"So... I settle, and there will be no legal problems with me anymore?"<p>

Harvey nodded, "Absolutely."

The meeting with Vincent had been turning out to be well... not very comforting. It was an Italian restaurant, with very intimidating Italian men with concealed weapons. Harvey didn't care for the weapons, just as long as they weren't pulled out of the holster. Mike on the other hand was sitting as if he was getting ready to have a prostate exam. He nervously shifted in his seat, stiff from fear. Mike had heard about the Giovinazzos even as a little kid. He knew that you never stepped foot into one of their restaurants unless invited by someone who was known there. They certainly, were not invited. Vincent was a fairly toned man, as he was in his mid thirties, with jet black hair slicking to the sides to give him class. A suit without a tie, yet he had a light blue handkerchief sticking out of the breast pocket, and of course expensive Italian shoes. His green eyes oozed greed and power. It took all of Harvey's restraint to not punch him in the face. Surrounded by Vincent were two big body guards, decked in gold.

Vincent wiped his mouth with his monogrammed cloth, "Then where is my justice?"

"Your justice?" Harvey said, countering his question, "You robbed a man of a hundred thousand dollars and you believe that you were conned out of the system?"

The Italian leaned in, "That man is a snake, and you better watch yourself, buddy. You don't know what would happen when false accusations are said."

Harvey all but rolled his eyes, "Oh, because I'm sure my clients accusations are false."

The lawyer leaned in, inches away from Vincent.

"And the only person who should be watching themselves is you."

Harvey got up, which Mike, thankfully, took it as a sign to leave. He said a quick goodbye before practically leaping out of the restaurant. Harvey got up slowly, placing his suit jacket on as it was hanging from behind his chair. Slowly, he began buttoning it up.

"Take the deal, Vincent. It'll only stay on the table for so long."

He briskly turned around without looking back. As he left the door, Mike was patiently leaning against the car, waiting for Harvey to exit the restaurant. Harvey almost smacked the kid for being a wimp, "What's the matter with you? You've dealt with bigger sharks than that."

"I've dealt with bigger sharks that weren't Italian, Harvey," Mike emphasized, trying to make it clear to Harvey that you don't mess with Italians.

But all the man did was shake his head, and continued on with the conversation.

"Where did Ray run off to?"

Mike checked his watch, "Coffee run. Should be back in a minute or two."

Harvey began walking to the other side of the car, "Once we get back, make sure you get Max to go over the case, see if she can find any flaws."

"What? My work isn't good enough?"

Harvey smirked as he rested his arms on the top edge of the car, "No, but I do recall her showing you up on the Mathers case."

"I still would have figured it out."

"But would you have figured it out as fast as she did?" Harvey said, a smirk dancing on his face.

Before Mike could rebuttal, Ray approached the car, sitting in the driver's seat quickly. Mike slid in, shutting the door behind him. Harvey and himself got settled in as Ray quickly pulled out of his parallel park and began driving back to the office.

"Make sure Max has it all reviewed, and on my desk by tomorrow."

Mike let out a startled laugh, "Oh hell no. I am not telling Max that."

Harvey turned to his associate, "Why not?"

Mike shook his head.

"Because there is no way in hell I am telling Max to come into the office to drop off some papers on her _day off_."

Harvey's eyebrows rose.

"Max has the day off tomorrow?"

The dirty blond nodded, "It's her first one since she got sick a month ago."

Harvey turned to look out the window, thinking deep in thought. He had gotten closer to Max recently, and Harvey was the type of guy to strike the iron while its hot. The more the thought about it, the more he was tempted to actually put his plan in motion. Maybe, just maybe... Jessica might get mad, but she did say keep the relationship out of the office. Plus, it had been a while since Harvey had a day off, after all.

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><p><em><strong>Don't forget to leave a review! The more you review, the quicker I post!<strong>_

_**xoxo N.**_


	13. Penelope

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**So this chapter is one of the longer ones, and it's filled with Harvey/Max goodness, with a little of Mike/Rachel fluff.**_

_**Hopefully it will still your beating hearts.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**_P.S. Suits isn't mine._**

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><p>The sound of paper being processed through a printer was the only noise in the small print room. Mike had been photocopying claims for Harvey, and he knew that Harvey would want them done as soon as possible. Well, the Harvey who wasn't sleeping with Max would have wanted them done as soon as possible. Now, he would probably get a tad bit frustrated, and get over it very easily. As he was placing the file down, he heard the photocopy room door open. He turned to see Rachel sneaking into the room, turning around and locking the door. Before he could utter a word out, she walked up to the blond, grabbing his face between her hands before pushing her lips onto his. Mike, taken back by Rachel, slowly grabbed her hips as she pushed herself closer to Mike. Before Mike could pursue anything, the brunette pulled away, letting go of his face.<p>

"Not to sound rude, but what was that for?"

Rachel sighed as she walked to the door.

"I had to do that before I lost my nerve," she said, leaving the print room, "Friday, at six? I'll text you the address."

Mike subconsciously touched his lips as the pages kept printing. He was shocked that Rachel would do something so bold. But why? Was it because she felt like she needed to? Or was it that she felt that she wanted to? And a date? Why now? Why, in general? What had gotten into Rachel, causing her to be spontaneous?

Whatever the reason was. Mike had to get back to work, which was now an impossible task. Tomorrow was a big day. Tomorrow was the day that changed his life forever, and the only thing he could afford on focusing on was his work. No Rachel, no nothing. Later on in the night he would think about it, maybe have a drink or two...or three. But for now, he was going to photocopy until his fingers start bleeding from paper cuts.

* * *

><p>With a last brush of her mascara, Max fluttered her eyelashes, quickly drying them. It was Max's day off, finally, and on the previous night she had planned to sleep in. Yet, knowing that she would probably beat herself up for sleeping in on such a nice, warm day, she slept early and woke early, planning on just spending the day out shopping, or at the park, or even both. Although glad she had a day to herself, it would have been much better if she had a day to herself <em>and<em> Harvey. But alas, she never had suck luck. Pulling on her favourite white haltered vest top, she found her matching high-waisted gray plaid shorts. Going to grab her high-heeled white cork shoes, she stopped when she heard a knock on the door. Odd, it was nine o'clock on a Wednesday and someone was knocking at her front door? Walking towards the door, she slid the peephole cover to the side, looking through the little glass lens.

As the cover slid back to it's original spot, Max couldn't help but smile. Unlocking her door, she was greeted by her brunette boy, who was questionably dressed. He was not in his normal attire of one of his dashingly gorgeous and pristine suits. Yet he was in a dark wash pair of jeans, a white v-neck t-shirt, a gray cardigan that was unbuttoned, and black loafers.

She smiled as she leaned against the door, "Why do I have a feeling that this isn't just sheer dumb luck that you have a day off the same day that I do?"

"I don't leave anything to luck," he said, walking into Max's house for the first time.

"So now you're just a borderline stalker?"

Harvey wiggled his eyebrows, "If you don't like it, then sue me."

It was just like he imagined it. The walls were either covered with bricks, or painted a blue-ish turquoise. On the wall with the door, it held a giant bookshelf that reached the ceiling. The bookcase was so full, Max ended up stacking books along the wall that was to the right of the door. On the same wall held a very large flat screen, with a long beige couch. Beside the living room, in the right corner was the dining room, and a door leading to a washroom. On the wall opposite of the door held two windows on either side of the wall, leaving a gap in the wall between them. With it, Max filled it with pictures. Since none of the pictures were in frames, Max had a wall literally covered in pictures. In the right corner, she placed her desk there, which was absolutely filled with papers, and her laptop. The wall to the left of the front door had the kitchen; a sleek, white modern kitchen with stainless-steel appliances, and white marble counters. He noticed the glass cabinet over the shelves holding several different types of wine. In the nicely lit cabinet, he noticed three wines sat on the expensive wood: a 1961 Cabernet, a 1955 Pinot Noir, and in the middle was a 1943 Bordeaux. A door was on the wall as well, and Harvey assumed that it was her bedroom. To Harvey, Maxine's house was so... Maxine.

The house itself was cluttered with nick-knacks from foreign countries, and picture frames from her friends. Flowers littered the place with lovely scents, and paintings hung from the walls. Harvey walked closer to her wall of photos, seeing Max in her teens, happy with a bunch of her friends in a few pictures. He saw pictures of her posing for the camera in her prom dress with her date, a strong smile on her face. Pictures of her high-school graduation with her mother by her side were stuck on the wall. Max was holding her law degree with a middle-aged man in one picture made him stop for a second. The man had a lot of salt and peppered hair on his head, and with his smile, his blue eyes shone through. He saw pictures that were taken from the office, some just of Max, some with Mike or Mike alone, and even some with Rachel. The one that Harvey loved the most is when Max was holding scissors to one of Mike's skinny ties as Mike drunkenly tried to keep his tie in one piece with Rachel laughing at him. He also caught a glance of two women sitting at a table; Maxine, and an older woman who was a spitting image of her. Or in actuality, it was Maxine who was a spitting image of the woman. He heard the clicking of Max's shoes from the right of him, and his spoke to her without looking away from the picture.

"Your mom?" Harvey said, pointing to the specific picture.

He heard Max's 'mmhmm', "It was the most recent picture of her before she passed."

Harvey turned to look at Max then. If it wasn't for the fact that he had a day planned out he would have done her right there and then. She looked ravishing, with her hair in a messy bun with her bangs framing her face. Large half-pearl earrings stood out against her lightly tanned skin. Her bold pure metal necklace accented her skin perfectly. Her white halter vest top did justice to her bosom, as her gray and pink plaid high-waisted shorts did wonders for her legs.

"We need to leave before I start doing something I would _love_ to do."

Max laughed, turning to grab her clutch off the table.

"Maybe next time, _babe_," at the sound of the word, Harvey rolled his eyes. She had been teasing him non-stop after using a word he never did use.

Turning around to lock the door she heard Harvey's cellphone ring, which he walked farther away from her to answer. Turning the key on the dead bolt, she had got a wicked idea. She could see Harvey was hanging up his phone, so she began walking towards him. As soon as she shoved his phone in his front pocket, Max began walking past Harvey.

"Nice ass," she said as she approached him, giving his butt a good appreciative smack before walking down the hallway. As she pushed the elevator button to go down to the main level, Harvey appeared in front of her, lifting her by the legs and wrapping them around his waist. He held her up as she placed her hands behind his head.

"You little minx," he said, embracing her.

"Careful, you might start doing something you would love to do, babe."

* * *

><p>As they walked down Terrace Dr, Max couldn't help but love the moment she was in. As her right elbow held her white clutch, her left hand was placed comfortably in Harvey's warm, semi-rough right hand. With her heels on, she was just a couple of inches shorter than Harvey, instead of him almost a head taller than her. They were walking close to each other, enjoying each others company. As they began to see the Bethesda Fountain, Max couldn't help but smile. She remembered shoving Mike in the fountain, but not before he pulled her in. It was one of the worst decisions to make in October, yet she loved the memory. Quickly letting go of Harvey's hand, she half-ran towards one of the ice-cream stands where actual ice-cream was scooped out of a bucket. She politely asked for a vanilla cone, which she accepted with gratitude. Before she could go into her clutch, Harvey gave the vender a twenty, and told him to keep the change.<p>

"That was very kind of you, Mister Specter," Max said, slowly licking her ice cream.

Harvey smiled, "I have to pay you back somehow."

Max laughed. She remembered their first date, and how if she didn't stay at the bar things would have been differently. Harvey had asked Max so many times why she did stay, but all she did was smile and told him to just be thankful she didn't leave.

Before Harvey could respond, his eyes caught onto two suspicious men down the street. Around the corner, they were very big and somewhat built. They had good suits on. Not to the point where Harvey would wear one of the ones that they were wearing, but they were pretty prices. Gold jewellery hung from their wrist and neck as they had sun glasses on. Harvey couldn't help but feel a nagging feeling in his stomach. _I've seen these men before_, Harvey thought as the men began to move closer to them. With a sigh, Harvey shook it off, thinking it was his paranoia, and jumped back into the conversation.

"At least give me a hint on as to why you stayed that night," Harvey said, walking right beside her.

She thought for a moment, "One reason might have been that I wanted to drop kick you over a table."

"The thought arouses me more than amuses," Harvey said, giving a growl to her ear.

Max giggled, enjoying another lick of her ice-cream.

"Oh wait, I've been meaning to do this," she said pulling out her cellphone.

"Call Mike to brag about your day off?"

"I'm not that rude," she said, "Now pose."

"As soon as I buy a Queen record," Harvey said backing away.

She rolled her eyes at Harvey. She had never met someone who absolutely loathed getting their picture taken. She needed a picture of him on her wall to show that he was actually a part of her life, which is why she had the wall of pictures; pieces of people in her life. Also, she loved pushing Harvey out of his comfort zone.

"You do realize I am either going to take a picture of you now or use the one I took of you when you were sleeping."

Harvey's lips pursed. _Woman and their sneakiness..._

She played with her cellphone, "There might have been drool, Harvey."

The lawyer sighed in defeat, causing Max to sinisterly smile.

"Only if you're in the picture as well," Harvey asked.

Max smiled, "Of course."

Turning her phone, she held it away from her body, trying to catch them both in the photo. Harvey's hands subconsciously found their way around Max's waist as she took the picture. The shutter sound confirmed the picture had been taken, and Max turned the screen around to see the picture. Even Harvey had to agree that the picture she had taken was something he wanted. Both of them looking at the screen with smiles on their faces, Harvey's hands around her waist with their cheeks touching. Max's ice-cream was inconspicuously cut out of the picture. It was sweet, and Max thought they were really aesthetically pleasing together. In other words, she thought that they were perfect.

"Thank you," she whispered, giving him a sweet kiss on the lips.

"Now will you shut up about it," he said, holding her waist.

She shook her head, "For now, I have nothing to say."

"What would you say if I took you shopping today?" Harvey asked her as they were in the archways. As they were walking, Harvey grasped onto Max's other wrist, stealing a lick from her ice-cream.

She smiled as she took her free hand and wove her fingers through one of his hands, "I wouldn't say anything, because no matter what I'd say, you'd somehow end up buying me things. Might as well be things I picked," she said, enjoying her vanilla ice-cream.

They sat along the fountain, Harvey and Max's legs tangling together as they faced each other.

"No objections?"

"None whatsoever, your honour," she said, placing her courtroom voice into the sentence.

"But know this, _Harvey_," she said leaning in, "Just because you bought me something doesn't mean you get aces in my book. You're just paying me back." Maxine said sinisterly as she stole a kiss from the man sitting beside her.

"You better not think this is a free pass, _babe_."

That was just what Harvey wanted. Not someone who was wanting gifts and easy to please. Harvey felt like he had to work for his woman, and his girl should do the same. Max wasn't going to let him off that easy, giving him permission to shower her with gifts. No, she was going to challenge him, and if Harvey wanted one thing in a girl, it was to challenge him.

He gave a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Game on," he whispered.

* * *

><p>The couple was curled up on Max's couch as they had laughed over a plate of the Chicken Parmesan she cooked up quickly. After spending a rather long day shopping, Max brought Harvey back to her place, letting them both enjoy each others company. Maxine could easily tell that Harvey was enjoying her food. It amazed her how awesome she was. With the clients that she kept bringing in, how fast she was closing cases for Louis, the quality of her work, and also her reputation for being a show stopper was just a plus knowing that she could cook. Five-Star Chef, Badass Lawyer, Master Seducer, Extreme Genius, Female Extraordinaire... and why wasn't she President yet? Harvey placed his dish on the table, stretching one of his arms on the back of the couch. Max's head was resting on her arm as she placed it on the top of the cushions. They were sitting beside each other on the couch, just barely touching each other as Max's knees grazed Harvey's.<p>

Max swirled her wine glass, "He really is a douchebag. I commend him for buying expensive wine, but Louis is just a straight-up jerk. Poor Mike must have had a heart attack paying for his rookie dinner."

She looked at Harvey before fake gasping, "I forgot. _You_ paid for his dinner."

"You are absolutely brutal," Harvey said shaking his head, "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Eventually," Max said, laughing.

Harvey smirked, "Tease."

"Ass," she said, smiling.

He placed his glass on the table, "It is a nice ass, even you said so yourself."

Max's only response was to roll her eyes, and take a sip of her wine, which reminded Harvey of a question.

"How did you get a forty-three Bordeaux?"

Max grinned, "It's a long story."

The man rolled his eyes at the beauty, knowing that he'd tell her anyway.

She settled into her seat, moving closer to Harvey, "Before my mother divorced my father, she had two safe deposit boxes. My father only knew of one, and that held everything that _he_ bought her. The other one contained things that were close to my mother. Since she left me everything in her will, I got her box. It had pictures of her family, trinkets from her travels, my first pair of shoes as a baby, and a bunch of other things. Among those items was a one-"

"A nineteen forty-three Bordeaux, yes, but _how _did she get it?" Harvey said interrupting.

Max huffed in anger, "You are going to keep turning into Mike if you keep interrupting me."

With an apologetic smile from her man, she continued, "Her mother's mother, my great-grandmother, smuggled onto a ship from France to the UK. She was trying to leave her cheating husband. While on the ship, she realized it had cargo on it. As she was investigating, and man caught her, and was about to turn her in until he noticed she was absolutely beautiful. Smitten, he offered her anything she wanted. My great-gran just smiled and pointed to a crate filled with wine. She didn't want to drink it; she just wanted something to have so she could hit the man over the head, climb off the boat, and get the heck away from him without getting caught."

Harvey smiled, "Must be the women in your family who are the strong ones."

"And don't you forget it," she said smirking, "Almost seventy years later, and it still lives."

Max felt her hand being pulled from supporting her head as Harvey's strong hands clasped onto her own as he held her there. It was so amazing, just to spend the day with someone just as powerful as he was. Harvey never experienced that with his old flames, which just showed how special Max was. Max leaned in, giving a soft, long kiss to Harvey, before picking up the dishes and walking towards the sink to begin washing them. As soon as she picked up the first plate, Harvey had plucked the sponge from her hands.

"Your humour is questionable, Harvey," Max said, holding her hand out for the sponge.

"Does it look like I'm a clown?" The man said, grabbing the dish from her hand. Before she could say anything to counter, he shook his head.

"No, I'm not letting you do the dishes. Not even drying."

"But-"

"Would you give it a rest, Max? You cooked for me, which by the way was the most mind-blowing experiences of my life. The least I could do is clean," he said, placing the clean dish on the other side of the sink, "So go sit somewhere and stare at my beauty."

She smiled before placing a quick kiss on his cheek, "You're the best."

"I thought that was established, _babe,_" he said over his shoulder as she grabbed her cellphone and logged onto her computer. As Harvey was doing the dishes, she was still smiling from his recent joke. Plugging her phone into the computer, she was planning on printing the picture of them out. A thought hit her; why didn't she make a copy for Harvey? Max hit the print button, causing the picture to finally be a physical item. She took one, placing tape on the back, and sticking it on the wall in the middle of the open spot.

"It's cute," Harvey said from the kitchen.

As Max was placing Harvey's copy in an envelope, she couldn't help but laugh.

"For the love of God, never say '_cute_' again." She said, placing the envelope on the table beside the door.

Harvey just shook his head, nodding towards the envelope.

"This is your personal memento to remind you of me when you miss me," she said, smiling as she wrapped her arms around his waist, placing a kiss on the back of his neck. Their moment was ruined when there was a knock at her door. Alarmed, Harvey wiped his hands, walking over to the door. Sliding the peephole cover, Harvey couldn't help but sigh in frustration and shake his head before throwing the door wide open. There, in all his drunkenness was Michael Ross, with his suit more ruined that before. Even from where Max stood he reeked of alcohol and something else that was vaguely familiar.

"Penelope!" Mike said, laughing as his shoulder was against the door frame, his body almost parallel with the ground.

Harvey looked at Max for an explanation.

"My middle name. Somehow he manages to forget my first name when he's drunk."

"Ah," Mike said stumbling in, "I'm jus' kiddin' Maxie. Y'know I'd _never_ forg't anythin'."

He smiled so widely his teeth glistened and his eyes squinted shut. Max could easily tell he was high too. But why? Mike knew to stay away from weed. He loved his job so much that he would follow Harvey's rules to a 'T'. She knew Mike never forgot anything, but he thought drinking to a certain point would make him temporarily forget something. But what? Max's brain had been working overdrive as to why Mike was drunk and high. It wasn't a client. Trevor wasn't in the city. Jenny was seeing someone else and he was fine with it. She texted Rachel earlier, finding out that she was going to bed early. Mike's grandmother was fine. But-

_Oh my God_, she thought. _The anniversary is tomorrow_.

The anniversary of the death of Mike's parents.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Harvey getting aggravated. The man could easily tell that his associate was high as well. Harvey was pissed that his associate was like this. It wasn't right of him to barge in at a time where he knew that Harvey was busy, drunk _and_ high. Even under the influence, the lawyer knew Mike was mentally aware of his actions, and to be acting like an idiot in front of him just made him even more mad. Harvey wouldn't admit it to anyone, maybe Max, but he cared about the kid, _and_ he was a reflection of himself. So for Mike to be so stupid as to drink himself to oblivion and smoke himself until he was baked really pissed him off.

"What is with you?" Harvey said, grabbing him.

He tried getting a reaction out of Mike, but he would have never expected Max to react in such a way that it shocked Harvey.

"Harvey, leave him alone," she said, ducking under his arms.

Unfortunately for both Harvey and Max, he directed his anger at her.

"He is drunk and high out of his mind, and you're going to defend him?"

"For good reason!" She said, yelling into his face.

Harvey's eyebrows rose.

"For-," he stopped himself, trying to catch his thoughts, "For good reason? Really, Max? Mike had a good enough reason to get high and drunk and stumble into your apartment unannounced?"

Max wanted to tell Harvey that Mike did; he was trying to forget about the pain of his parents. It was stupid, yes, she knew, and she was going to kick his ass when he was sober. But she knew what he was going through. Max never had a father figure, so losing her mother was like losing both parents. Just forgetting about the pain, even for five minutes... it felt like heaven. So she knew how Mike felt. But she swore to Mike that she would never tell a soul, and she didn't know if Mike told Harvey about his parents.

So Max's only option was to keep quiet.

Harvey laughed without humour, "You know, for a great lawyer, you sure do suck at defending someone who is clearly guilty."

He rushed out of the house, grabbing his keys off the table. He was going to leave without the picture, but his subconscious told him to grab it, just in case he regretted it in the morning.

"Call me when you get a real defense," he said, shutting the door behind him. The sound of the door clicking into place caused Harvey to have a pang of pain in his chest. There was probably a story behind Mike's actions, but he was so angry at the moment he just didn't care. Ha, people were right. At that moment, Harvey Specter didn't care about anyone.

Inside the room though, Max felt as if a weight was on her chest. She so desperately wanted to tell Harvey everything. She didn't like lying to him. But this was Mike. Mike, her best friend, her brother. They shared the bond of being orphans. What was worse is that Harvey didn't know about Mike, and he wasn't about to tell him anytime soon. She couldn't betray Mike like that. He never did anything to hurt her, so why should she?

Mike, who was silently standing there, walked up behind Max and hugged her shoulders.

"I'm sorr'y Harvey hates ya righ' now. It's my faul'."

Max shook her head as she placed her hands on Mike's forearms as they rested on her collarbone, "No Mike. You have nothing to apologize for. He doesn't understand, that's all."

She felt Mike nod his head, and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Hey, rem'mber tha' time I droppe'd my pants?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>Aww! Their first fight!<em>**

**_Let's see what happens._**

**_Review?_**

**_xoxo N._**


	14. Superwoman

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**I know it's been a while since I've updated, but now a new chapter is here!**_

_**THURSDAY'S EPISODE: Gah... I can't think right now. My brain is crying tears of joy.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Don't own Suits or any of its characters**_

* * *

><p>Mike, fighting a splitting headachebody ache/hangover from hell and also recovering from a bad case of the munchies, came walking back to his cubicle after trying to talk to Harvey. Max cleaned him up real good, practically shaving his beard for him. She, not surprisingly, had an extra suit for him that she picked up from the cleaners from a time Mike didn't know. But that still didn't help him in anyway when Donna was like the Berlin Wall, causing him to not see Harvey. Max was able to get into his office to try to explain, but Donna's firey red hair caused her to become firey herself. He had heard Donna chewing Max out, but Max just stood there and took it, knowing Donna was just angry. God, he felt like an asshole. He caused a fight between Harvey Specter and Maxine Harris; the unofficial power couple of Pearson Hardman. To top it all off, his boss and his boss' secretary was pissed at him, on the day his parents _died_.

"Watch out," Mike mumbled as he passed by Max's desk, "Donna's gonna open another can of ass whoppin'."

Max shrugged her shoulders. The blond noticed that Max had cleaned up a little more nicely than normal as well, but you could tell something was off. Instead of a suit skirt, she wore a black pant suit, with a typical beige coloured dress shirt, buttoned a button higher than usual. Black shoes, but not the glossy, sky-high heel types she always wore. It was a matte, and a _low_ heel. Her make-up was natural and gorgeous, but it didn't have the Max sparkle it usually did. Instead of her luscious hair flowing down her face, she pulled it up in a ponytail, showing the fierce lines in her cheek bones. He could see the hint of the bags under her eyes, which was half his fault. He had been puking all night, and like the good friend she was, she was beside him, rubbing his back.

If Max could look like shit, this would be it.

"Why do you look like a supermodel even when you are feeling like hell?" Mike said, sitting at his cubicle. He noticed that none of the other associates were in the room as they were all assigned to the Waylen case that Louis and Harvey were working on. But not to their surprise, they weren't needed. Max was a sophomore, while Mike was the best rookie on the floor by a landslide, so they should have been in there. It didn't take a genius to figure out they were being kept out of the loop for a reason.

"Because I'm Superwoman," she said, halfheartedly.

With a small smile, Mike got back to work.

"How are you holding up?" She said, causing Mike to lift his head up.

"You know, with the whole...thing," she said, twirling her pen when she said 'thing'.

Mike, sighing deeply, began to spew out word vomit, "About what? That sixteen years ago to this day my parents died in a car accident which I happened to be the only survivor of, and to make matters worse is that my fucking photographic memory can remember every single damn thing about that crash, like how my dad's skull was smashed like a melon and how I heard my mom's last words being gargled with the blood in her mouth. That every time this day shows up on my calender I hide at the bottom of a bottle and in a bag of weed just to hope that maybe, _maybe_ I can forget just a bit of the crash, maybe just so I can just forget some of the pain-"

Mike's breath caught in his throat as he let a few tears roll down his face. Max left her cubicle and tightly held him to his chest.

"I know what I did was wrong," he said as tear marks rested on his cheeks, "but I thought that maybe, I could forget about them, just for an hour. Hell, I'll even take five minutes. I just want to forget, Max. But I _can't_ forget anything."

"I know, Mike."

"I can't forget anything. I want to so bad Max, but I feel like I'm being punished because I can't forget." Mike said, clutching onto Max as his tears stained her shirt.

"I can't forget."

He hated the day his parents died. Most people would have moved on by now, since they would have forgotten the things about what happened. But Mike, he could remember where every grain of glass was positioned. He could remember every dent in the car, how the upholstery was ruined, how the smoke whipped through the air. He could remember the minute that his mom was his mother, and the next he was looking into lifeless eyes. His eyes. Everyone always said he had his mothers eyes. Max looked around, hoping that no one was listening in.

When in reality, hidden around the corner, was a strawberry blond, clutching a hand over her mouth as she silently tried to fight her tears. Donna was going over to the pair to give them more work and another brow beating, but she decided to eavesdrop in their conversation, hoping to find out more information on what happened the previous night. Never, in her life, had Donna felt so guilty. When Harvey told her what happened, she had just assumed the worst. Actually, she hadn't assumed the worse because what happened to Mike _was_ the worst possible thing that could happen. She chewed him up and spat him out and stomped on him until he got the point. She was just trying to get him straight, but he just had a glazed look in his eye that got her frustrated and took her worst out on him. But if she had just known why he did the things he did, she would have gone easier on him. _Much_ easier. It wasn't right, what he did, but Donna was shocked he hadn't done worse. To relieve his parents' death constantly and crystal-clear was like torture to him. She shouldn't have jump to conclusions. Tears fell from her face as she walked into the women's washroom to clean up. She heard enough.

* * *

><p>The thing about love, Harvey was contemplating as he sat as his desk, was that one couldn't jump into it. Nor could one crawl, or walk, or run into it. No, the only way to be in love is to stand at the edge and fall. It was so easy for him; just to stand at the edge. Max... <em>God<em>, he cared about her. He cared about her more than he had with anyone else in his life. But if she was so comfortable with Mike being high and drunk... he didn't know what to do. Should he just stand at the edge, or just fall?

He looked at the picture on his desk; he didn't know what was going on with Max, but when he woke up this morning, the first thing he wanted to do was to call her. After realizing what happened the previous night, he instantly missed her as his hand hovered over her name when he held the phone in his hand. The feeling was so powerful that he ended up framing the picture and bringing it with him to work, placing it on his desk, just to see her. The sadness of not hearing her voice overpowered his anger for that moment. But damn it, he was Harvey _fucking_ Specter. He could last a day without hearing his girlfriend's voice. She had to know he was serious about how he hated drugs, and if she didn't see that, then, he didn't know what he'd do. And Mike... Harvey didn't even want to think of Mike at that moment.

"You've been staring at that file for ten minutes," Donna said as she stood at the door.

Harvey shook his head, "Just thinking of ways to conquer the boardroom."

Donna's tongue grazed her back teeth in an unamused manor.

"Uh-huh. So the thought of Max didn't even cross your mind?"

Harvey pouted, he was still mad, but he wouldn't let it show. "Now Donna, you wouldn't actually think I'd be that angry?"

She shook her head, "No actually, I'd think you'd be worse."

The redhead placed the files on his desk, causing Harvey to see the hidden hickey on her neck line as she extended her arm. As Donna was placing the file on his desk, she couldn't help but notice the black picture frame on Harvey's desk that wasn't there the previous day. The inner frame was trimmed in silver, and the picture itself was of Harvey and Maxine. The strawberry blond's eyebrows rose in surprise. Things were getting serious between them if he was putting a picture of her on his desk.

"Now that's adorable," she said, pointing to the frame.

Harvey's smirked, "So is that blemish."

"Well, I wanted to match my boss," Donna said, pointing to the hickey just barely peeking out of the collar of his tie.

The brunette man rolled his eyes, "Humour me."

Harvey not only noticed the hickey on Donna's neck, but her eyes were a little puffy. "Donna," he said getting her attention, "Is there another mock-trial soon, or are you just brushing up?"

His secretary knew he was joking, but he clearly saw that she wasn't in a laughing matter.

"Donna?" He said, putting all of his focus on Donna, who was now on the verge of tears.

She ran a finger through her hair. How was she going to tell Harvey that he jumped the gun again? He always assumed things when he was angry, and it always came to bite him in the ass. Now, this moment, was one of those times she hated being the messenger. "I'm a jerk," the redhead said, "And you're going to feel like one too."

It was then that Donna told Harvey the one thing he would have never expected.

* * *

><p>Yves Saint Laurent loafers hit the floor, swerving past paralegal cubicles, partner offices, break rooms, and print rooms as Harvey was looking for his associate and his girlfriend. They weren't at Mike's desk, and Harvey was betting that they were cooped up in the washroom. Walking over to the entrance, he took a deep breath before swinging the door open. He saw Max and Mike sitting on the sink counter, Mike's eyes red rimmed to the extreme, as Max's were slightly bloodshot. He walked up to Mike but the blond just looked down. Max slid off the counter, pulling Harvey farther into the washroom, just out of earshot.<p>

"Do you know?" Max whispered. Her response was a nod from Harvey.

"How?"

"Donna," Harvey said in a low tone.

She sighed, the woman heard everything.

"Look, I know you're mad at me-"

"I'm not," Harvey said, almost sounding broken, "Not anymore."

It took everything Max had not to just pull him into a hug and hold him. Mike needed her more.

"We can talk later," Max said, "But Mike needs me... _us._ He needs us, Harvey."

They both began walking towards Mike, who wiped his nose with the tissue in his hand. Harvey signalled Max to show he wanted to talk to Mike alone. She nodded, squeezing the top of his arm before giving a quick kiss on the cheek for Mike, whispering something in his ear. As she left the men's washroom, Harvey stood in front of Mike, not daring to sit on the counter and crinkle his ten thousand dollar suit. They were both silent, until Harvey heard a crack come from Mike's mouth.

"It sucks that you don't care, otherwise this would be a good moment," Mike said sadly.

Harvey shook his head, "Kid, I don't know if you noticed, but that schtick of me not caring? People are starting to notice it's just a schtick. You should to."

Mike nodded, "I know. But you should know Max is totally against me smoking pot-"

"Is she now?" Harvey said, unsure if it was sarcasm or pure shock.

"She understands why, but she doesn't condone it. This morning she practically threw a frying pan at me for being reckless."

He shook his head, "Sounds like her."

Harvey sighed, taking his hands out of his pocket.

"Why didn't you just tell me the truth? _Before_ you went on a drinking binge while baking your brain to nothing. You could have just told me."

"But I-"

"Do you trust me?" Harvey said, looking at him directly in the eye.

Mike swallowed, "Yeah..."

"Then you could have told me," Harvey badgered, "I could have kept that secret, Mike, you know that."

"I didn't want to tell you, Harvey. You'd think less of me."

Harvey almost shook the kid in anger when he realized something.

"You thought that I'd think _less_ of you?" He repeated.

The blond nodded.

A brain blast hit the brunette. Harvey didn't have the memory Mike or Max had, but he knew instantly that Mike said the same thing that Max had said before she told him her mother died. Why did they both think that? Was it some kind of program that they both developed in their minds. Think _less_ of them? Why in the world would Harvey think less of a person just because of the shit that happened in the past? What was in the past was in the past. Harvey only judged people by the way they acted in the present, and Mike has proven himself to be a great associate. Max proved to be an amazing person. So what gave them the idea that something could change that?

"What is with you two?"

Before Mike could react, Harvey continued, "Why do you both think that if you tell me that your parents are dead, I'm going to think that you are some horrible human being?"

The younger of the two sighed, "You don't get it Harvey. When people find out about my parents, they instantly think that I'm someone they should pity. They see me differently, like I'm struggling to live since I don't have my parents there to support me. Max and I... we hate that feeling. We don't want people's pity. We don't want to be victims. We're survivors. But people always assume the worst."

Harvey listened to his associate, realizing that the kid was growing up. He _was_ a survivor, overcoming one of the worst tragedies to experience in a lifetime. He lost his parents. Max lost the only parent she had. It was no wonder they bonded. The powerful lawyer saw that his associate was one of the most dedicated people he knew.

"So you jumped to the conclusion that I'll think less of you?"

"Do you?" Mike asked skeptically.

"Mike," Harvey said shaking his head, "If you want people to stop assuming the worst in you, stop assuming the worst in people."

He began walking away from the blond, "Just know that you've got people who care about you, Mike."

Harvey held the door open, waiting for his associate to get up. Mike, on the other hand, was confused, "What?"

"I need the best mind the Waylen case. It's sad seeing these other associates try to impress me."

Mike chuckled, "You can't get Max to do it?"

Harvey huffed as his associate passed him, "You know, Max isn't Superwoman."

"You sure about that?" The younger one of the two said smiling.

Harvey couldn't help mirror his smile.

"Welcome back."

* * *

><p><em><strong>And everything is right again in the Pearson Hardman office.<strong>_

_**UP NEXT: Jessica's on the prowl, Harvey becomes over-protective, Mike and Rachel go to Greece, and... Max slept with Louis' brother?**_

_**Please don't forget to review!**_

_**xoxo N.**_


	15. Greece

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**So this update is rather longer than I usually write, so hopefully you all will enjoy it. This takes place a month later from the last chapter (I know I'm moving things fast, but it makes sense in the end!). This chapter is important, so read it properly!**_

_**Don't forget; the more you review, the faster I post! **_**_F.Y.I - I have just written one shocking chapter that is upcoming, and I want to post it very badly, because it is a pivotal scene in the entire story, so please, review!_**

**_Don't forget to enjoy it!_**

**_P.S. Suits belong to the USA Network_**

* * *

><p>Max sat beside Rachel as Mike was on the other side of the table, all three of them desperately trying to focus on their work. It was one of the monthly group work projects to build relationships with co-workers. Unfortunately for the three, not a lot of work was getting done. One of them would make a funny face, nudge someone with their elbow, or softly kick their shin. Max kept elbowing Rachel as she was writing, trying to cause her to screw up her work. Rachel, holding in her laughter, was barely able to write any research she could find. Mike kept sticking his pen into his nose, mouth, or ear, causing the girls to silently chuckle. Rachel knew that the anniversary of Mike's parents had taken a toll on him a month ago, so the two brunette women made a pact. Both girls made a silent agreement to keep Mike happy and to keep his mind off of the deaths of his parents. All three of them were now being playful with each other, just for the hell of it. Each of them had their fair share of humour, and the day was drawing to a close. Each of them carefully concealed their laughter, hiding it from Jessica, who was sitting two tables down from them.<p>

Louis Litt, being the little rat he was, decided to take a visit to the table that held his associate, the golden boy, and the paralegal. He came crawling towards them, realizing they were all laughing. Louis knew he couldn't touch Rachel, as she wasn't in his command, nor could be badger Mike, which if he did, he'd have to deal with Harvey. Max on the other hand, he could yell at. Although the girlfriend of one of the Senior Partners, the boss-woman made it clear that work was work and relationships were not a part of work, and in the firm, Louis had control over Max. He approached the table, silencing their giggles.

"Maxine?" Louis' slimy voice oozed out of his mouth.

Max shuttered, "Yes?"

He smiled sinisterly, "You wouldn't happen to have the subpoena on you? You know the one I asked you to work on this morning?"

As Louis was talking, Max pulled out the subpoena, handing it to him.

"Finished, proof-read, and waiting for your signature."

Flabbergasted, Louis tucked the file under his arm.

"And the Davidson briefs?"

The brunette placed the large file into Louis' hand.

By now, everyone stopped working and was looking at the interaction between Louis Litt, and his associate Maxine Harris. Including Jessica Pearson.

"Now I'm pretty sure you don't have the Adams-Vaughn merger."

"This one?" She said, turning the black binder in her hand. She placed the file in front of Louis as she grabbed her bag, placing it on the table, "I also finished the Mueller patent, the Santos injunction," she said, practically throwing the papers on top of the merger. "And although it was due tomorrow, I happened to finish the conveyance for the Ryerson case, just for the hell of it." She dramatically dropped the papers onto the table.

"See, Louis, don't get me wrong, I respect you and I think that you are good at your job. But when your associate starts bringing in bigger clients than you, closing major deals without you, and doing your job and doing it much better than you could _ever_ do it, I suggest that you give the said associate a little respect. Or better yet, treat him, or her for that matter, as if she's not lower than you, but equal."

Louis, embarrassed by his associate, decided to resort to the only thing he was good at. He leaned in towards Max, whispering to her.

"That's a clever tactic. Did you pick that one up from Harvey between the sheets?"

Mike's pen fell out of his mouth as Rachel's jaw dropped, along with Jessica's eyes widening. Jessica couldn't believe how low Louis would get to try to get the upper hand by bringing down one of his associates. The woman was doing her job, better than she should have been doing it, and yet Louis took it as a threat, being unprofessional towards the young woman. It disgusted and offended her that he would resort to such a drastic measure. Max could hear several noises and whispers coming from her associates, but she kept her face compose. She was Maxine Penelope Harris, and nothing could break her.

"I wouldn't know. Harvey's been sleeping with your wife."

Louis rolled his eyes, "Oh, and I'm sure you haven't had a problem with that."

"No actually I haven't, since I've been spending nights with your brother."

The older man crossed his arms, "I don't have a brother."

"It's still funny as hell," she said, smiling.

Leaning back in her chair, Jessica Pearson smiled. Maxine Harris was clearly one of the hardest workers at Pearson Hardman. She could easily bring in clients, regardless of their net worth. From what Jessica heard, Judge Grott thought Max was one of the best defense attorneys he'd seen, and the judge had seen a lot of lawyers in his lifetime. A thought crossed Jessica's mind, and she wondered why she hadn't thought of it yet.

* * *

><p>Associates started filing out as it was the end of the day, and Max pulled herself out of her conversation with Mike and Rachel to collect her things, as she had nothing else to do. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, her eyes locked onto Harvey who was down the hall, with a large smirk on his face. His smile meant that either he was watching the fight, or Donna had heard, mentally recorded the whole thing, and told him everything word for word. Mirroring his smile, she began walking towards Harvey, not caring if Jessica was looking. He held out his hand, which Max slowly took, as they began walking deeper into the office, which was almost empty.<p>

"You trying to be me?" Harvey asked her.

"Why? Afraid I might actually be better than you?" Max said, stopping in front of him.

"Well when you can make Jessica laugh, I'm pretty sure you are better than me."

She smiled, pulling her hair behind her ear.

"How's the Satin case going?" She asked.

Harvey rubbed his eyes. One of Julian Satin's buildings had caught on fire mysteriously, causing the city to pay for its damages. Unfortunately, the fire department suspected foul play, therefore throwing Satan into a whirl-wind of legal issues. Max knew it was stressful on Harvey, and she added that to the list of things she held against her father.

"I have court next week on Thursday. New evidence came in, and the judge is allowing it to be used as evidence against Julian," he paused, watching her reaction, "Don't worry; this case will be closed before the Yankees win the World Series."

Max shook her head, "Three months ago, if someone told me I was going to date an arrogant asshole, I'd probably laugh in their face."

Harvey's eyebrows rose, "You think I act like an asshole-"

He stopped himself, "You know what? Don't answer that question."

Max couldn't help but chuckle as she took Harvey's hand, pulling him down the hallway, towards her cubicle. As they were passing by one of the break rooms, Harvey heard a noise uncharacteristic to the sounds of a break room in a law firm. Stopping, he pulled Max to the sound, sticking their heads in the crack of the door. As the couple looked through the slit in the door, Max realized there were two individuals being a little too close for comfort. The woman kissed the man passionately as he held her tightly. Almost instantly Max knew that the woman was Donna, and the man looked to be Ezra, one of the two male secretaries at Pearson Hardman. Everyone thought Ezra was swinging for the other team, but in the position he was in, it looked liked he loved women. A lot. Max looked at Harvey, on the edge of a giggling fit, before he pulled her away, heading to her cubicle.

"Well, I know what Donna does in her spare time." Max laughed.

"But Donna? In the break room? She has much more class than that," Harvey said as he rested his arms on the walls of Max's cubicle.

"Opportune moment?" Max said, filing away her papers, "Maybe they were just too close for comfort."

"Well while you become all John Hinckley on them, meet me at my office," Harvey said, walking backwards.

"Why do you assume I'm going back to your place?"

"You're not. I'm coming back to your place," the man said before smiling and turning the corner, leaving Max at her cubicle. As Harvey pulled out his cellphone to answer back to his text messages, he began walking to his office. Opening his office door, he looked up to see the back of a man who was standing in front of his desk.

"Can I help you?" Harvey said in a demeaning tone.

The man turned around, holding one of Harvey's signed baseballs.

"How ya doin', Harvey," Vincent Giovinazzo III said as he stood in front of Harvey, with a smug look on his face, "You know, the city looks gorgeous from up here."

"What are you doing here? And how the hell did you get past security?" Harvey said, walking around the man and his desk, grabbing several files off of the table and placing them in the filing cabinet located in the corner.

Vincent avoided the latter part of the question, "I just came by to tell you that your client is dropping the charges."

Harvey straightened his tie, "You know this how?"

"We had a little...chat, Lawrence and I," Vincent said fixing his cuffs on his sleeve, "Don't worry; the guy can still walk perfectly."

"Can he see where he's going though?" Harvey said, checking to make sure the Italian hadn't taken any of his precious records.

The black-haired man laughed, "He's fine, Mister Specter."

"Well," Harvey said, adjusting his suit, "In that case, I'll meet with him tomorrow to confirm that he's still going to bring your ass to court."

Vincent scratched his chin, "You really so sure you can change his mind?"

"I _know_ I can, Mister Giovinazzo," Harvey said holding the door open for him.

The shorter man of the two crossed his arms, leaning against Harvey's desk. He knew this guy was a pro at his job. He was better and more powerful than any other lawyer he'd come across, and he was too far up on the caste system that he couldn't whack him without people, or the press, or the police, noticing. Letting his eyes wander, his green eyes rested on a black picture frame. His eyebrows rose, remembering the leverage he had as he was grabbing the picture. He turned the face of the frame towards Harvey.

"This your girl?" Vincent said, a little all-too-knowingly.

Curious, Harvey just nodded.

"Damn Harves, she is absolutely stunning. A vision," Vincent said, taking a very good look at the picture, "How'd you manage to snag something like that?"

"You came to talk. You came. You talked. Now leave," Harvey said, getting agitated.

"You know Harvey," Vincent said completely ignoring him, "I got to ask you something."

Harvey didn't respond as he was furiously holding the door open. Vincent ignored it and continued.

"Why don't you like Queen?"

Harvey's angry composure fell off his face as his blood went cold.

"I mean, my father listens to them all the time, and Max, well, she looked kind of sad when you refused to take a picture with her," Vincent said, placing the picture back on Harvey's desk, "You wouldn't want a pretty girl like her to be sad, now would you?"

Harvey was in shock. He knew Max by _name_. Vincent had him followed a month ago, and he _knew_ it. The big men he saw wasn't just a coincidence. He knew he had seen them before, and that was at Vincent's restaurant.

"I bet she'd be really sad if something ever happened to her Harvey. Eh, who knows? Maybe I just might be there to console her," the man said, walking through the door.

"Let the case go, Harvey. It'll be better for the both of us." Vincent said as he turned to leave out the door. Before he could go any further, Harvey pulled the Italian's collar, grabbing onto each sides of his shirt as he almost threw Vincent through the window. He shoved him against the glass, almost yelling at him.

"If you even think for a second you could intimidate me, you have it wrong, _Vincent_," Harvey spewed as the Italian was trying to get out of his clutches, "If you ever threaten me again, I'll kick your ass. But if you even think of threatening my girlfriend, I will pull out every tooth you have with my bare hands so you never can wear that shit-eating grin, you son of a bitch."

Shoving the man off of the glass, Vincent Giovinazzo fixed his suit before exiting the door. As he was walking, a beautiful brunette woman happened to arrive at the door of Harvey's office, expecting her boyfriend to be the only one in the room. Max's eyebrows furrowed; the man looked familiar, and not in a good way.

"Hello," she said politely to the man in front of her, sticking her hand out, "You must be..."

"Vincent Giovinazzo the Third, my dear," Vincent slyly said, taking her hand. He turned it over and placed a light kiss on the top of her hand.

The second he uttered his name, Max remembered sitting on the couch with Mike, going over the file with him. She had actually met Lawrence on several different occasions, and he was truly an honest man. Vincent was a mob boss, there was no denying that. He had powerful people in powerful places. Some of those powerful people had powerful threats and weapons. He never was charged with any crime, because the victims either dropped the charges, or mysteriously moved to Wisconsin. He was a dangerous man, with a dangerously large ego, possibly enough to rival Harvey's, and even her own.

But her mother taught her to smile at people she hated.

"Pleasure," she said.

Vincent nodded towards Harvey before leaving. As the Italian was making his way out of the office, Max turned to see Harvey's eyes in an angry and panic state. He was physically composed, but Max could tell he was freaking out and fighting to hold a punch in on the inside. She didn't have to be a genius to realize the man said something to Harvey that caused him to slightly lose control of himself. Whatever he did say though, Max couldn't let Harvey lose his mojo. She needed Harvey on his A-game, no matter what. The only person that should see Harvey weak and unsure of himself was Max, with no exceptions. Right now, Max needed Harvey to get comfortable, and the only way he could if he was in control. If he was in his home, he was in control.

"Your place tonight, instead?" She said, wrapping an arm around his waist.

The man looked at the woman, watching as her eyes looked into his. Harvey smiled, pulling her close before leaving his office with Max. It was like they shared the same brain. She always knew what to do to bring him back to the top of the tower when he slipped down a peg or two. Arm in arm, they were heading out of his office and towards the elevator. As they were rounding the corner, a pair of high heels appeared, and the legs in those heels appeared as well. Those legs, Max realized, belonged to Jessica Pearson. Max's first initial thought was to rip herself from Harvey. But business hours were over, and at the time she was so exhausted that she really just didn't care. As soon as Jessica spotted the couple, her eyes brightened, and she began walking towards the two.

"Just the person who I needed to see," Jessica said, arriving directly in front of the couple.

"Can't I worry about pro-Bono's tomorrow, Jessica? My face needs some beauty sleep," Harvey said, almost in a whining tone.

"Save yourself the flattery, Harvey. I wasn't talking to you."

It took Max a good five seconds to realize that Jessica was talking directly to her.

"Me?"

"Her?" Harvey said incredulously.

"Her," Jessica said, walking around the couple, "Maxine, if you would be polite as to come to my office with me."

Max was never one to freak out, but it seemed like when Jessica Pearson wanted to talk to her _privately_ in her _office_, she was allowed to slightly be freaked out.

"I'll meet you downstairs," Max quietly told Harvey, who was questioning if Max got fired for her conversation with Louis, or if Harvey himself just got his girlfriend fired. With a quick kiss, Max turned and followed Jessica towards her office. As Harvey turned and pressed the down elevator button, he couldn't shake the feeling of worry out of his system. What the hell was this woman doing to him? Harvey was never worried about anything, let alone anyone, and yet here he was, standing in front of the open elevator, not willing himself to enter the lift. He turned towards the office, hoping that Max would come out quickly. This situation caught him at an awfully bad time. He was already roughed up because of the Italian mob boss; he didn't need Jessica to fluff his feathers even more. _Five minutes_, Harvey told himself as he sat on the benches in front of the elevator. Five minutes, if she wasn't out, he'd get up and wait downstairs.

* * *

><p>Rachel's laugh filled the hallway as she was walking towards Mike's apartment. After a month into dating the blond again, Rachel remembered why she liked Mike in the first place. He was sweet, and caring, and <em>so<em> smart. He was very easy on the eyes as well, and she didn't mind that at all. He was quirky, but she was as well. It felt good to be going back to Mike's place again. She had missed being able to cuddle on his couch, or browse his books. She just missed him in general.

"It's not that funny," Mike said, hiding his blush.

"You read a dictionary, Mike, for fun," She said, giggling again.

"Well, for your information, it was very beneficial when it came to writing resumes."

"Oh, I see," Rachel said, "For what _legal_ job?"

Mike's comeback died in his throat as they arrived at his front door. He dug into his pocket, looking for his keys. He didn't know what was going to happen, he just hoped Rachel would stay with him for as long as she could. As he finished unlocking his door, the woman quickly entered the home, remembering that everything was in the same place the last time she was here. The smell of his home was just like Mike; manly and musky. It was comfortable to remember.

Mike gave a small grin, "Give me a second."

He began pulling his tie off, walking into his washroom. He kept his sleepwear in the bathroom for emergencies. Leaving the door open a crack, he placed the tie over the sink, unbuttoning his shirt. As he got to the last button, he heard the door crack open, seeing Rachel. She leaned against the frame, her hair slightly falling off of her face. The brunette walked closer to the blond, remembering the showers they shared, the fights over the mirror in the morning, the quick make-out sessions they had in the small little room. He looked gorgeous, just as she always saw him. His shirt loosely hung over his figure as his belt was unbuckled. Mike watched as Rachel slowly moved closer to him, the beauty capturing all of his attention. His hands remained at his side as she stopped right beside him, feeling the warmth of his body.

None of them made a move, but they could both feel the tension between each other. Mike's hands flexed as Rachel bit her lip. _Better now than never, Mikey boy,_ he thought to himself. Shutting all other thoughts, he pressed his lips onto Rachel's, feeling relief. His hands held her cheeks, pulling her closer to him. Her hands covered his own, pulling him out of the bathroom and towards the bed. She slowly sat down as Mike followed her, kneeling down on the bed. She pulled away, looking into Mike's eyes.

"Just like Greece, huh?" He said, traces of a smile on his face.

She mirrored his smile.

"No. It's better."

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><p><strong><em>Don't forget to review!<em>**

**_UP NEXT: Louis is your typical dick, Harvey has a heartattack... and Max cleans out her cubicle._**

**_xoxo N._**


	16. Baby Shoes

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_I start school tomorrow (Canadians are awesome like that), so updates won't be as frequent as I'd like, unfortunately. But this doesn't mean I'll abandon you guys. I love my story too much to just leave it incomplete._**

**_ON THURSDAY'S EPISODE: EMOTIONAL HARVEY? Sweet Baby Jesus, I can't control myself right now. Just... so awesome, there is no way I can rationally think right now. Donna is still her badass self, and (dare I say it) I actually felt bad for Louis in this episode (JUST when Harvey was yelling at him). UGH, why can't Rachel stop being a bitch and Mike pull his head out of his ass and just fricken be together? God, I'm thoroughly pissed. If Mike is with Jenny in the season finale, I will shoot someone._**

**_Hope you enjoy!_**

**_P.S. I don't own Suits_**

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><p>"<em>Junior<em>?"

Max didn't hear the words properly. She must have heard the words wrong. Jessica Pearson did not just say that. Who was she to be offered this job? It was just unreal.

"You want me to be a Junior Partner?" The brunette said unbelievably.

Jessica smiled. This woman was humble, she noticed. She was dominating in the firm and in the courtroom, so Jessica wondered why she was shocked that the powerful woman offered Maxine the job of being a Junior Partner. It was inevitable in reality. Max was over qualified to be a Sophomore Associate, but a Junior Partner was perfect for Max, at the moment. It was almost as if Jessica was supposed to give Max this job, which she was doing at the moment.

"After Harvey made Senior, a position for Junior has been open, and never has been filled. I can't think of anyone to take the job, except for you. Maxine, you clearly are good at your job, and you can make the firm look good. You can take the non-equity partnership for now, but you don't have to switch over-"

"I'll take it," Max said, "And I'll eventually become an equity partner."

The taller one of the two smiled, "That's what I like to hear."

She walked back to her desk, "You can fill out all of the paperwork tomorrow. I'll have one of the janitors move all of your items and files to your new office in the morning."

Max smiled, "You know, let me take care of that myself."

The woman began to leave Jessica's office, "Thank you very much, Jessica. It really means a lot to me."

"Well, you deserved it," the dark-skinned woman said, smiling.

Before Max could utter out another word, Jessica cut her off.

"And if you're wondering, your office is located in the opposite corner of Harvey's office."

Max internally frowned. She had really hoped her new office was some-what closer to Harvey, but she should have known better when she was dealing with Jessica Pearson.

"Just because I'm alright with this relationship doesn't mean I want it anywhere near the office. You remember that," the tall woman enforced with a raised eyebrow.

Not jinxing a good thing, Max smiled a tight smile and left the office, heading towards her new office, peaking in. It belong to Gordon Quinn, a junior partner who transferred to a firm in New Jersey. The office was almost the exact same design as Harvey's, but quite smaller. The large windows were over looking the city, and Max could feel the peace it brought with it; remembering her days as a child. The office was filled with expensive furniture, but Max knew that she was going to have fun changing that. The large empty shelf against the wall made Max overjoyed. She finally had somewhere to put her books she had kept in storage. Walking out of her new office, she made her way to the elevators. Almost instantly she stopped, realizing that Harvey wasn't waiting for her downstairs, rather he was sitting on the metal benches, on his phone. She smiled; Harvey was worried about her. She forcefully clicked her heel, causing the noise to echo and grab Harvey's attention. He stood up, noticing that Max's face held no emotion.

"What did Jessica say?" Harvey asked her. She was gone for more than five minutes, but Harvey couldn't bear to wait for her in the lobby.

Max licked her lips, "Jessica wants me to clear my cubicle in the morning."

Harvey's gasp fell through his lips. Jessica fired Max?

All of a sudden, Max's lips turned upwards.

"And to move into my new office."

Max giggled at Harvey's confused reaction as she placed her hands on her hips.

"You are now looking at one of Pearson Hardman's Junior Partners."

Max heard Harvey's briefcase fall as his hands wrapped around her waist, lifting her up. She laughed as he placed her on the ground, holding her tightly before placing a quick kiss on her lips.

"You're not fired?"

"No," Max laughed.

"You sure?"

The woman laughed, "Yes, Harvey."

Harvey sighed in relief, "Don't pull that shit on me, Max. I was going to flip."

"Oh right, because you _care_," the brunette said, laughing.

The man shook his head, "What did she say, exactly?"

Max sighed, "Jessica said that I was exceptionally good at my job at Jackson Fortworth, and since I spent three and a half years there before I transferred to here, she took into account the year and a few months I've spent here, and knew that I was qualified for the job."

Harvey rolled his eyes, "I honestly didn't know you were qualified for the job."

"Ha. That was funny, Harvey," Max said walking towards the elevator.

"So you know you're going to have associates," Harvey said picking up his briefcase.

The thought hadn't hit Max, "Oh God. I'm going to have a secretary."

"Don't even think about taking Donna," the man said entering the elevator.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of taking your beloved secretary," she said pressing the lobby button.

"Ezra on the other hand..."

* * *

><p>The blond kept looking at the cubicle in front of him as he was working hard. Max was the opposite of Mike; she arrived to the office early, she got her work done faster, and she looked good doing it. So it was a shock to him that it was already an hour into the day, and Max hadn't even bother to arrive to her work station. She wasn't sick, and she wasn't with Harvey, as he was sitting in his office alone. No one had seen Maxine, and Mike was starting to worry. About to fear the worst, Maxine herself came into the office, holding an empty box. Curious, Mike walked towards her desk as she placed the box down, putting files and other trinkets into the box. Horror flashed through his mind.<p>

"Max...you're not cleaning out your desk, right?"

She looked at him silently as she threw more of her things into the box.

More associates began to gather, realizing that their co-worker was no longer working in the area anymore. Some of them were sad, but some were passing money around, seeing as it was a bet of some sort. Max silently grabbed her box as she left the workroom. Mike followed her, seeing as he wanted answers.

"You can't be fired, Max," he said, weaving his way through cubicles, "When were you fired? Yesterday?" He continued as Max wordlessly kept walking. "If it was about the Louis thing yesterday, then tell Jessica that he started it," he kept following Max towards the corner of the office floor, "Go to Jessica, tell her- no, demand that you want your old job back..." Mike silenced himself as he arrived to the glass corner office. His eyes caught onto the translucent words placed on the window.

'_Maxine Harris: Junior Partner_'

"But I don't think you'd want your old job back," Mike said smiling.

She mirrored his smile as she was leaning against her door frame.

"You smell like Rachel," she commented on before heading into her office, placing the box onto her desk as hired workers were hanging pictures on the available wall space and placing books into the empty shelves. Men were placing files into cabinets while they were also moving the expensive leather furniture around. Mike caught onto a small item on Max's desk; a pair of baby shoes safely tucked in the inner corner. He noticed instantly that it was one of the items that Max told him about, the ones from her mother's safety deposit box.

"That's hilarious," Mike said, standing at the door, ignoring the thought he just had.

"Kidding," she said rolling her eyes as she walked out of her office, "I'm glad you and Rachel had _fun_ last night. I've missed her hanging with us. She's a good one, Mike," she said, looping her arms around Mike's left arm.

"Agreed," Mike said, turning to walk back to his cubicle.

As they were walking, Mike trailed his eyes on the floor.

"So...the baby shoes?"

Max smiled, "I emptied out the box."

Mike stopped, shocked at what Max did.

"It was time, Mike," she said shrugging her shoulders, "I've got to let go of the past."

The blond nodded in agreement. Max was the type of person to forgive, but never forget.

"I still can't believe you're one of my bosses now," Mike said as he sat down, changing the subject.

She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm still the same Max."

"Who happened to sleep her way to the top," Stan said, high-fiving Gregory as they were listening in to their conversation.

Max looked at them both with a sinister look, wiping their smirks of their faces.

"I'm sorry. Sleeping my way to the top requires me sleeping with the boss, and I didn't know Jessica was rooting for the other team," she said, approaching the two, "I became a lawyer on my own. I joined the firm on my own. I made sophomore on my own, and even though you think otherwise, I made junior on my own," She smirked, leaning in, "So why don't you respect one of the Junior Partners. Who knows if you'll be transferred under my wing."

She began walking away, enjoying the looks of horror on the associates' faces, until she almost bummed into Louis. Crossing her arms, she faced the man with an emotionless expression.

"Ah, Max, there you are," Louis said holding a bunch of files in his hand, "I need you to go over all of the paperwork regarding the Morrissy case," the rat-faced man said as he threw the file onto the now empty cubicle, "And I want it done by today."

"Louis, didn't you hear?" A voice behind Max said, stopping just behind her. Max's grin appeared on her face.

"Didn't hear what?" The balding man said as he looked to the person behind the woman.

"Max was promoted to Junior this morning," Max smirked at Harvey's dominance that was radiating off of him and his voice.

Louis, laughing at the unbelievability of the situation, shook his head.

"You're joking, right? Jessica couldn't have promoted her."

"Why don't you ask her yourself? I'm sure she'd be glad to answer you, Louis," Max said, grinning at him. She leaned in, smirking at him.

"By the way, I did actually learned that one between the sheets," she said with a wink.

The man looked between Harvey and Max before pushing through them, heading in the direction of Jessica's office. The woman laughed, turning to face her boyfriend.

"You think Louis is mad that he lost his best associate?"

"I know he is," Harvey said quietly, "I think he's more mad that he was embarrassed by you twice."

"God bless the Freedom of Speech," Max said, smiling.

Harvey's head dipped towards the beauty in front of him, "You know, I would love to hear what you'll have to say, well, tonight."

The woman looked up at her man, "You just have to wait and see."

Max smiled, walking backwards, "If you would excuse me, I have wanna-be lawyers waiting for me to make them cry."

She waved a quick goodbye to Mike, who sat there with a smile on his face.

"What?" Harvey asked skeptically.

Mike shook his head.

"I always wondered if there was a female Harvey Specter. Now, I got my answer."

* * *

><p><strong><em>The faster you review, the more updates that come!<em>**

**_ON THE NEXT TAOP: Max makes a new friend, Donna has a little fun, and Mike... shoots someone in the head?_**

**_xoxo N._**


	17. Chinese

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_School has started, and oddly enough I have had no time to upload, but a lot of time to write. No internet connection in my classes, I'm afraid._**

**_ON THE FINALE: AHHHH! OMG! Fucking Trevor, honestly. I hope that weasel gets kicked in the face. Harvey/Mike interaction was awesome, and I'm very curious to see what the hell is Donna and Harvey's ritual? For that matter, Mike & Jenny's as well. Speaking of Jenny... honestly, she just needs to go. The actress (Vanessa Ray) is awesome, but the character... ugh, I prefer Meghan Markle's Rachel Zane, who in this episode made my jump for joy. God bless you in trying to make things right with Mike. Granted, it was your voicemail that caused Trevor to go apeshit. But, we can't win everything. Donna was amazing, and Harvey was your typical badass (preferably the scene with the officer, Mike, and the suspect in the suspect's home after Trevor scared the shit out of the guy), and with a bruised cheek/eye... I'll leave it at that as I fan myself._**

**_Hope you enjoy!_**

**_P.S. Disclaimer: I don't own Suits_**

* * *

><p>His foot was shaking as Oliver Klades sat in the Conference Room C, holding his daughter's hand. Karly Klades was clearly more calm than her father, keeping a grip on her father's rough fingers. Her father was jittery all the time, making sure everything went according to plan with her trial. She was sick of it really; sick of everyone looking at her differently, sick of being treated like a delicate flower, sick of her father treating her like a wounded baby. He used to wrestle with her, play video games with her, do guy things together. Now, in her father's eyes, she was a broken little girl, and the only thing her father wanted to do was fix her.<p>

But the thing is; she wasn't a little girl anymore, and she didn't want to be fixed.

"So Karly testifies, the evidence backs it up, and you sir, will have won your case," Harvey said as he was reviewing Oliver and his daughter. Trial was in two weeks, and Harvey was always extra prepared.

Karly shifted in her seat, and her father noticed.

"Karly, would you mind if I went over the rest of the case with Mister Specter, alone?"

The blond nodded mutely, and began to leave the conference room. She hazily walked past the lawyers and the secretaries, heading to the lounge area in the entrance. She hadn't known where she was going, and bumped into someone, causing papers to fly everywhere. The young girl shook her head. She really needed to pay attention to where she was walking.

"I'm sorry," Karly said, bending down to help clean up the mess.

"Ah, it's fine. All of us have our days where we just knock shit over," the person said, smiling as papers were being picked up.

"Tell me about it," Karly agreed, helping pick up the last of the sheets, giving it to the person she bumped into.

"Karly Klades," the blond stuck her hand out.

"Maxine Harris, but just call me Max," the brunette said, plastering a genuine smile on her face as she accepted the handshake.

"Max," Karly said, odd to her tongue, "Cool name."

"Ah, it has its downfalls."

The green-eyed woman smiled, "You're too nice to be a lawyer."

"Don't say that in court though," Max said laughing.

The older woman of the two offered Karly to walk with her, and the blond nodded, following her new acquaintance to wherever she led her too. Karly soon found out that Maxine Harris was one of the top lawyers in the firm, judging by how nice her office was, and the name on the door. For some strange reason, that gave Karly hope. That women could be powerful.

"I heard about your case," Max said as she shut her office door.

Karly nodded, "It's not pretty, that's for sure."

"Well, if it means anything to you, I believe your side."

"Thank you. It actually means a lot," Karly said, wandering around the office. She rested her back against the windows, facing the office. Her eyes caught hold of several pictures sitting on the brunette's desk. Some with the woman and an unfamiliar blond man, and also with another brunette woman. But it was the ones of Max and Karly's lawyer Harvey Specter that caught her eye. One picture was both of them looking at the camera with Harvey's arm around Max, and another of them at a bar, both of them making a ridiculous face at the person taking the picture. The last one was of them sitting on the edge of the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, with them both facing each other, smiling and just inches away from kissing each other, clearly unaware of someone snapping a picture of them.

"You're dating Harvey?" Karly said, surprised.

Max sighed, "Almost four months, unfortunately."

"If Harvey was going to be dating anyone, it had to be someone who was almost as powerful as him, I suppose."

"Wow, you've known Harvey for a long time?" The woman said, settling into the chair.

"Not really. My father is always telling me that Harvey's a cocky son of a bitch, but he's good at his job."

"Your father is a smart man," Max said, leaning into her chair.

"But he's just so... over protective of me," the blond uttered out, sinking into one of the chairs in front of Max's desk, "It's becoming too much, you know? Ever since my mom left him, all of his focus is on me, and I think I'm suffocating."

Max frowned internally. Karly really didn't know how lucky she was to have a father that actually cared about her. She still had her mother too, that was still a big part of her life. Max never had a father, and her mother was ripped away from her too soon. Max leaned forward, placing her hands onto her desk before folding them together.

"Karly, I know it's tough having someone hover over you constantly, believe me it's happened to me before," Max remembered how she got Harvey to finally confess why he was so frantic after Vincent paid him a visit. He seemed to hover over her a bit more after the threat, "But you should know that he's doing it out of love, and you should be thankful that he's there."

"Haven't your parents ever been so over-protective?" Karly asked.

Max sighed. She knew this question was coming, "My father left when I was still a fetus, and my mother was working a lot, so I never really had anyone to hover over me," she took in Karly's pity, "Don't worry, I've gotten over it. But you should be happy that someone is watching over you Karly, and be glad it's not from above."

Karly realized that Max didn't have her parents anymore, and it showed her a new-found respect for her father.

"Thank you, Max. I really needed this."

Max smiled, "Anytime."

Before Maxine could say anything, her eyes caught onto Harvey about to enter her office, with Oliver Klades trailing behind him. Karly also followed Max's gaze, realizing that it was time for her to leave the office and head home. She stuck her hand out again, and Max took it effortlessly. She turned to leave the office, until she stopped an turned around.

"Do you think we could have lunch sometime?" Karly asked.

Max drew her head back, "I'm sorry?"

"You know, a lunch date? You seem like the type of person who is willing to listen, and I thought-"

The brunette held her hand up, "I understand."

Karly smiled, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Max said smiling as she guided Karly out of the office, both of them sharing smiles as the blond snaked an arm around her father's torso as they walked out of the firm. Harvey turned to Max, a curious smile on his face as he leaned against the door frame.

"Trying to steal my clients, Miss Harris?"

Max rolled her eyes as she walked to her desk, "Please, it's not like I'd have to try that hard."

Harvey's eyebrows rose, "Wow. Two weeks in the big girl chair and you're ready to sit at the big table."

The brunette looked up at Harvey from under her eyebrows.

"I'll see you at lunch, Harvey," Max said indifferently, causing Harvey to roll his eyes at her as he began to leave.

He couldn't help but bother her. She was rather sexy when she took charge.

* * *

><p>Donna was walking with Norma as they were coming from their lunch break. Laughing as she was walking the other woman to her desk, she said a quick goodbye before heading back to her own desk. Her eyes caught onto the redhead man sitting in her chair. She shook her head; the man didn't give up. She walked to her desk, practically pushing the blue-eyed man out of her chair.<p>

"Ooh, feisty," Ezra said, giving her a gleaming smile.

"Oh sweetheart," Donna said, placing her phone to her ear, "You haven't seen feisty at her finest."

He laughed, "I can't wait to see more."

"Patience, my darling," the woman said, quickly speaking into the phone before placing back into its spot.

"I heard something this morning," Donna said, typing away at her computer.

"Oh?" Ezra focused on her.

"You're Max's secretary now?"

The man shook his head, "She's nice. Like a humble Harvey."

"'Harvey' and 'humble' in one sentence? Really?"

"I'll think before I speak next time."

"Please and thank you."

The redheaded man smiled, "Dinner at nine?"

"You better be here at eight," the redheaded woman retorted.

"Seven thirty it is."

Ezra got up, looking around quickly for any partners or associates. When he couldn't find any, he gave a quick kiss on Donna's cheek before he pulled himself away from the desk, heading towards his new cubicle in front of Max's office. Donna couldn't help but smile and follow him with her eyes. It wasn't her fault in reality; Ezra had a gorgeous ass.

* * *

><p>"No! No! He's on the upper level!"<p>

Rachel sat on Max's couch, wine at hand, as she was yelling at the television. Max was on the other side of the couch, while Mike sat in between them. The only difference was Mike was sitting on the floor, with his back leaning against the couch. Mike and Max both held controllers to the X-BOX 360 that was currently running Call of Duty: Black Ops. After a long day at work, Max had decided to spend the evening with Rachel, inviting her back to her place. Mike, fortunately, picked that specific time to ask Max if she would have wanted to spend the night at her place, playing X-BOX. After simultaneously deciding to hang out after a 'what the hell?' from all three of them, dinner morphed into moving watching which transformed into Mike and Max annihilating every zombie that came into view. Following Rachel's instructions, Max found the lone zombie, and proceeded to kill him.

"Headshot," Max shouted.

"Stop rubbing it in," Mike said, shooting an arm off of the one-armed, now no-armed, zombie.

After three seconds, Max shouted again.

"Headshot."

"How?" The man said, getting frustrated while causing his girlfriend to fall into a giggling fit.

"You need to stop sucking at this game," the older woman said, easily killing a group of zombies.

"And you need to stop paying for dinner. First, Harvey sticks you with a bill, which I may add was as much as my mortgage. Second was that time where I was so baked out of my mind I forced you to buy me three large pizzas, and now this time-" Mike cut himself off, finally getting his first headshot.

He turned to Max with a satisfied look on his face. Max, raising an eyebrow, used her double guns to kill two zombies via headshot. Mike turned to the screen, where in bold white letters announced, 'Double Headshot'.

"Bitch."

"Wow, that hurt," Max uttered out sarcastically as she tried killing the circle of zombies around her. Unfortunately, Mike forgot that he was playing a game, and let Max's character die, causing them to lose the game. The brunette threw her remote in the air, letting it spin and twirl. It flew behind the couch, cluttering against the floor. Not that Max cared if it broke, she could con her way into Harvey buying her a new one. Mike turned to face her sheepishly, with a childish smile on his face.

"I'm about to smack you, you know that?" She said in a serious tone.

"Can it be after the Chinese comes? Which, just letting you know, you're paying for..." Mike said, getting up and moving to the kitchen. Rachel turned to Max, thinking hard about what Mike said.

"Harvey made you pay for dinner?"

"It's a long story," Max said taking a long sip from her wine, "Which I'm about to tell you. He was being a narcissistic ass-wipe all dinner, until a few of his clients came and stole him away from me, and forgot about me when the cheque came around."

"How much?"

"One thousand seven hundred twenty seven dollars and forty-six cents, with tax," Mike's voice said as it echoed off the inside of the refrigerator.

Rachel, shocked, turned to Max. She lifted her glass, placing a smirk on her face.

"Douche-bag."

"No, the Harvey Specter special," Max said, touching her glass with the woman in front of her.

"Well, the real tragedy is that she _waited_ for him," the blond said as he was leaning against the kitchen counter, drinking orange juice straight out of the carton.

"Because I was a proud woman, and I was waiting for the right moment to kick his ass," the woman said turning to face her neighbour, pointing an accusing finger at the man in her kitchen, "And haven't we established that you and orange juice is like Louis and a woman?"

"It defies the laws of the universe." Rachel said quietly beside her as she took a small sip from her wine.

Max smiled at her while Mike was speaking, "Did you tell Harvey the real reason why you stayed?"

The woman sobered up. Of course Mike would be the only person in the world to know the truth about why Max decided to stay and wait for Harvey at the bar on that night. Rachel saw the look on Max's face, as well as Mike's, and decided that she was going to be ballsy and ask the same question.

"What is the real reason?"

Maxine's eyes trailed the crimson liquid in her drink, "Mike told me a lot about Harvey, long before I met him. Sure, he was an ass, and yeah, he made Mike work so hard that I practically force fed him."

"I gained five pounds because of you," a voice said coming from the kitchen.

"Because you ate the food that I did _and_ didn't make for you, dumbass... and put the orange juice down already, you're making me anxious," she said before turning back to Rachel, "Harvey was working Mike to the bone, being a very demanding boss. I thought he was horrible to Mike...until I heard about the time where Harvey spotted Mike's rookie dinner, and the time where he defended his driver because he was loyal to the man, and...well, that time where the idiot almost got shot for trying to get the other idiot's friend Trevor out of a situation."

"That was pre-Maxine awesomeness, I assume," Rachel said, resting her head in her hand.

"You assume correct," Max said before continuing, "As Harvey left with his friends the night of our first date, I was so mad that I was going to drop his ass for all the shit he did. But as I was leaving, I saw him give an encouraging pat on the back of one of his friends. Just that little pat reminded me that Harvey can be a good guy, and that even though Harvey will never utter the words, but he cares for Mike... and anyone who will put their ass on the line for someone I care about is worth my time. My _limited_ time, but my time nonetheless."

Rachel had been observing Max as she was speaking about Harvey. A laugh escaped her lips, causing Max to tilt her head in curiosity.

"What?"

The brunette looked at Maxine.

"You're falling in love with him."

Max's breath blew out of her mouth in a stutter, "I'm sorry, I seem to be hallucinating. You said-"

"That you are falling in love with Harvey Specter," Rachel said, placing her glass on the table as she got comfortable, "Admit it; you are falling head over heels for Harvey."

It was as if Max's heart stopped for a moment. She knew she was falling for Harvey, but the realization that she was falling in love with him caused her to feel like her world just dropped. It was scary; thinking of sharing your life with someone else, being with that one person for that moment in your life. Having a specific and special bond with that someone. For Max, trusting Harvey with every bone in your body was almost like Max giving her 1943 Bordeaux to a child. To give something that important to someone was something the brunette never planned on doing, and yet here she was, giving her all to the one and only Harvey Specter.

Holy shit.

"Holy shit," Max said under her breath.

"Yeah, you are in love with the man. That, or you have a fetish with men obsessed with Star Trek."

"Where is Captain Kirk anyway?" Mike said, flipping the semi-filled carton of orange juice around in his hands.

"Uh, late night at the office, he's closing the Grimm case with Jessica for court tomorrow before he picks me up," Max said, getting up and grabbing the empty glasses, moving towards the kitchen. As she placed the cups in the sink, she turned to Mike, trying to snatch the carton out of his hands.

"For the love of God... Mike, if the lid pops open-"

"It won't," Mike said, flipping the container behind his back, "Jesus Christ, calm yourself. You're acting like Harvey."

"I don't use puppy analogies, moron. Now put it down before I die of laughter when it explodes all over your suit."

"It's not-"

Before Mike could say "going", the lid for the carton couldn't handle the force, causing it to pop out of it's place. Fortunately for Mike, he managed to dodge out of the way, letting all of the juice spill onto Max's tile. Rachel gasped in humour as she watched the orange liquid bounce off of the floor. Max's teeth clenched as Mike's childish grin was plastered on his face. Before Max could grab the frying pan off of the stove to bludgeon Mike to death, the doorbell rang, alerting the three that their Chinese delicacies had arrived.

"Food's here!" Rachel said, mostly to herself, as she got up to move to the kitchen to set up the dinner table. The brunette walked to the door, grabbing her wallet off of the front table before answering the man on the other side.

"Maxine Harris?" the delivery guy asked, holding the paper bag of their dinner in his hands.

"That's me," Max said, pulling out two twenties for the delivery man. Before she could hand the money to the man, he shoved the paper bag in front of her, as well as a clipboard.

"You've been served," the man said in all seriousness, waiting for her signature.

Max, appalled and curious, signed the document quickly before taking the paper bag and shutting the door behind her. By now, Rachel and Mike stood beside her as she placed the paper bag on the kitchen bar. She pulled out the papers inside, flipping through the paragraphs quickly. She was wondering who had the audacity to sue her. She was good to her clients, and she didn't have any enemies. She flipped to the last page, where her eyes widened in shock. No... it couldn't be.

"Who's suing you?" Rachel asked anxiously.

Max's hazel eyes were uncharacteristically glassy with tears before taking a deep breath.

"Julian Satin."

Mike's heart ached when Max's broken eyes looked into his own blue orbs.

"My own father is suing me."

* * *

><p><em><strong>And the first cog in the system turns.<strong>_

_**ON THE NEXT TAOP: Mike and Rachel play the guessing game, Harvey and Max have breakfast (at Tiffany's), ...and who let the Devil out of Hell?**_

_**Review!**_

_**xoxo N.**_


	18. Zeroes

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_I felt so depressed when Thursday rolled around, since I had nothing to watch at 10pm (so tragic... what the hell are we going to do for a whole year?). So since I am feeling sad, I wrote a very long chapter to try to fill the void, and trust me, it is filled with a whole lot of goodness!_**

**_So sit back, relax, and enjoy!_**

**_P.S. Rights go to Aaron Korsh_**

* * *

><p>The sun hit the woman's eyes as she slowly woke up in the million dollar condo. The windows were bright, deceiving to Max that it looked like a warm, sunny day, when in reality, it was a sunny, yet chilly October morning. She sighed with content into the silk pillow case; she actually enjoyed chilly mornings very much. It reminded her of the same day several years ago, where her mother and herself would walk to the park bright and early before going to breakfast. Afterwards, her mother brought her to school, where she endured a day of torture. When her mother picked her up, they made their way to F.A.O Schwartz, where Max picked out any toy she wanted. Max smiled at the memory as she stared into the skyline of the city, enjoying the moment. She completely avoided what happened the previous night. She didn't need anything to drag her down that specific morning. The arm around her waist pulled her closer to the body attached to it as Harvey snuggled to her body. Max's arm covered Harvey's, having her hand clasp onto his own. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek.<p>

"Happy Birthday," he whispered into her ear.

She turned her head to face him, "Thank you."

He rested his head on his propped-up arm, forcing Max to turn and face him. She tucked her arms under her pillow, snuggling into the expensive sheets, "I don't want to move from this spot."

"I can arrange that," Harvey said, smiling.

"No, I'm not missing work just because it's my birthday," Max said, huffing into the pillow.

"But you want to," the man said, rubbing Max's leg.

"More than you know," she mumbled, lifting her head up to rest on her hand, "Don't you have a client to meet today?"

"None. But I have a feeling someone from your father's company is going to make a surprise appearance today.."

Max paused at what Harvey said.

"Max?"

"Maybe I should skip work today," she said before slamming her head in the pillow.

When Harvey picked Max up the previous night, he could sense that something was off. Max was very good at hiding things, but Harvey was better at finding hidden things. He didn't push it, knowing Max would eventually talk about it. Harvey wasn't just about to ruin her birthday by asking her what was troubling her so much. But he hated when Max was thinking about something else. It affected her work, and he needed Max to be his rock; strong and always there for him.

"Babe," Harvey said, grabbing her attention. After saying it sarcastically for such a long time, it just became normal for them to call each other 'babe'.

"Yeah?" She said, peeking through the pillow with one eye.

"What happened?" Harvey asked.

Max sighed. It was like Harvey had ESP. She sat up, causing Harvey to follow suit. The man started to worry; it seemed to be very serious if Max was preparing to tell him what she needed to say. The woman's hair was ruffled, which Max tried to comb her hair with her hand, trying to calm it down. She was wondering how the hell Harvey was going to react about the news.

She looked into his brown eyes.

"Julian is suing me."

It was as if someone took Harvey's record collection and broke every record by stomping on them with force, only ten times worse. The rage that flashed across Harvey's face caused Max to flinch back slightly. She had _never_ seen Harvey like this. The man was so passionately angry that Max could feel it radiating off of his body. It took a while before Harvey could respond, and the brunette woman was worried if Max caused him to become catatonic.

"Harvey," Maxine said, trying to get his attention.

"Your father is suing you," he finally whispered, causing Max to sigh in relief.

"Not me exactly, my mother's estate. But since she's dead and I'm the only living relative..." she said, rubbing her face, "Remember the safety deposit box?"

"The one he doesn't know about?"

"Apparently he does now," Max said, fluffing out her hair, "Might have to do with the fact that I emptied out the safety deposit box a few weeks ago. He must have people working for him within the bank."

"But how could he have found out about the safety deposit box in the first place? Didn't your mother keep it hidden from him?" Harvey asked, running a hand through his hair. Max liked the fact that Harvey's hair wasn't perfect at the moment as the tips of his hair brushed his nose.

"I thought about that," she said, playing with the tassels on the blanket, "Maybe he always knew about the box, but he couldn't get to it without setting alarms off. My father's lawyer sent me a written statement from their divorce saying they would look over every item they both posses and evaluate who gets what. Since the items in my mother's box have never been evaluated, my father's calling it to question, per their agreement."

"He wants something in the box."

Max nodded at Harvey's comment, "Maybe that's why my father took everything from my mother. He was looking for something specific."

He grasped her hand and held it tightly, "And you don't know what it is?"

"No. The only thing valuable is my Bordeaux, but everyone knows about Julian Satin's 1992 Screaming Eagle is the cheapest wine he owns."

"At an astounding eighty thousand dollars," Harvey said, smirking at the thought.

Max smiled at Harvey's light humour, "Now my dad wants me to meet with his lawyers, bringing all of the items in the security box so they can evaluate it."

"Like hell that's going to happen," Harvey said in his definite tone, "If Julian wants something from you, he better take it himself."

Max could see the gears working in Harvey's head. If the man was known for anything, he would be known for fighting the system when the system had wronged someone. She knew that he would do everything in his power to make sure her father wouldn't snake himself out of this situation.

"You mean _try_ to take it," Max said grinning.

Harvey smiled.

"That's my girl," the man said, leaning in to steal a kiss from Maxine. She smiled into the kiss, grabbing his neck tightly. She pulled him down to the bed, kissing him passionately as his hands held her bottom tightly. He smirked as her hands dug into his skin, with her nails leaving a slight burn from under his shirt. He pulled away, causing the woman underneath to pout, and for him to laugh.

"Would you relax? We don't have time for that," he said, pulling himself off the bed, holding out his hands for the woman laying in his bed.

"What do you mean we don't have time?" Max said, letting Harvey drag her to her feet, "We have another hour. That is plenty of time," the brunette said, wrapping her arms around Harvey's neck before placing her lips softly onto his own.

"Tempting," Harvey said, running his hands over Maxine's body before walking out of her embrace and moving out of the room, "But that would defeat the purpose of your present," he shouted back at her.

Max's smile faltered. Oh no. No, no, no...

"Harvey..."

Maxine Harris never liked birthdays. It wasn't because of her age; she actually liked getting older. It was that birthdays required parties. Big, obnoxious parties that had people she hated, yet were still invited. Putting people in situations that they weren't comfortable with, the tension between several people, and worse, the price of actually hosting the party. After Max's seventeenth birthday fiasco, she had sworn off of streamers and balloons, hors d'oeuvres and loot bags galore. What was worse, she hated when people gave her presents, since most of them were not-well thought out ideas. Really, what was she going to do with a matching cat and mouse salt and pepper shaker from her neighbour three doors down?

Harvey came back into the room with his hands behind his back, "Don't worry Max; I didn't spend a dime."

She would have been relieved if it wasn't for Harvey pulling the little blue box from behind his back.

"I spent a little more than that."

* * *

><p>Mike had been leaning over Rachel as she was seated at her desk, scrolling over pages on her computer. It was as if they were in their old groove again, acting as if they were together for ages. Rachel smelled just as she always did; jasmine and lavender. It made him sigh with happiness, since it was such a scent he had missed.<p>

"Ooh, there," Mike said, pointing to a Italian restaurant on the screen.

"Nice guess, but not even close," Rachel said, smirking up at him.

Mike huffed. If Rachel was good at one thing, it was hiding the restaurant that Rachel picked out for Max's surprise birthday party.

"I still don't think it's a good idea..." Mike said with a worried tone.

"Suck it up. Max is going to like this party because the food at this restaurant is to _die_ for."

"Said the foodie to the masochist."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "It's not going to be torture, Mike. We're just going out for dinner. Four people attending is hardly considered a party."

"Still, Max hates surprises," Mike said, leaning over to place his hand over Rachel's, holding onto the mouse as he was navigating his way through the computer, trying to find the restaurant. Rachel blushed immensely. The subtle things Mike unconsciously did were the ones that the caramel-skinned woman loved the most. It was as if his mind was acting out what he wanted to do, and he shamelessly acted upon those wants. She shook her head, only Mike would have this much power over her. She focused her attention back onto the screen, noticing Mike was now intensely looking at every restaurant he laid his eyes on. His eyebrows rose at one of them, and he smiled in victory.

"That one," he said, pointing it out as if he were five.

Rachel laughed, "Really Mike?"

Before he could come with a rebuttal, he saw the brunette bounce around in the office, holding a permanent smile on her face. Her hazel eyes made contact with Mike's blue, and she quickly made her way across the office and stood in front of the paralegal's door.

"Happy Birthday," Rachel said, quickly getting up to give Max a hug.

"It is a good one," Max said pulling away.

Tucking the file under her arm, Max fixed her shirt.

"Anything interesting today?" The brunette said, looking softly at Rachel. The other brunette noticed that the hazel-eyed beauty currently was wearing diamond earring studs, with a small diamond on a chain to match. It didn't have to take a genius to notice that those diamonds were _real_, and by real Rachel thought _real_-ly expensive. There was no way Max would spend that much money on herself. But to Harvey, it was chump change.

"Besides the rocks on your ears, nothing too serious," Rachel said, causing Mike to laugh.

Max nodded, "He went a little overboard. But you won't hear me complain..."

"Why? Because you had breakfast at Tiffany's?"

Max's eyes widened in surprise, "Wow. The foodie quoting a movie," Max leaned in, whispering to her quietly, "are you sure you're not picking up any traits from Mike?"

"Says the girl who quotes Star Trek."

"I liked Star Trek before I even met Harvey," Max said in a definite tone.

"So you say..."

The shorter woman of the two leaned against the door, "So what time should Harvey and I come to Babbo?"

The other woman sighed in frustration and defeat. How the hell Max knew about things before she was told them, well, she'll never know.

"Eight."

Maxine smiled, "Great. Don't forget to bring your ball and chain."

"Oh don't worry. He can get there on his own," Rachel said as Mike walked past both of the women, grabbing onto Max's arm. Max said a quick goodbye to Rachel, while Mike gave her a peck on the cheek before he left with the birthday girl. Max looped her arm around Mike's arm as they strolled down to her office.

"Twenty eight years later," he muttered under his breath.

"Very funny, Ross," Max said halfheartedly.

"Is it just me or am I the only person in the world who can't figure out a secret?"

"Yes Michael. It is a disability for you," the sarcasm in Max's voice caused Mike to roll his eyes in frustration. She really was an ass sometimes, but he loved her anyways.

"Mike," Max said in a soft tone.

"Yes?" The blond said, curious at the sound of her voice.

"Will you help me with my house hunting at lunch?"

Mike stopped dead in his tracks.

"You're moving?"

Max smiled, "You really think that I would stay at my place forever? If you haven't noticed Mike, I've been making bank," she said before reaching out to his collar and fixing his tie, "it's about time I move out."

"But..." Mike stuttered, "how will I survive?"

She smiled, "Don't think I'll abandon you. I'll find a way to keep you alive."

Mike shuffled his feet, "Does Harvey know?"

"No, and I'd like to keep it that way for as long as I can."

She could feel Mike's gaze as she looked at her. She knew that she might as well move in with Harvey, but Max liked space. If she had distance away from Harvey, it made it that much better when she saw him again. Yes, she spent most of her free time with him, and she did "sleep" over five nights a week, but Max liked being able to have some time by herself, as did Harvey. Plus, it was way too early in the relationship to be even thinking about moving in together.

Mike sighed, "Alright. Whatever floats your boat."

The blond gave a quick kiss on the cheek, "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you," she said, watching as her very close and dear friend walk back towards his cubicle. She smiled, he was always such an amazing person. Max turned to walk back to her office, pulling out her cellphone in the process. She scrolled to Harvey's name before typing out a new message.

'_Pull out one of your casual suits tonight. Rachel did pick Babbo_.'

She held her phone in her hand, going over a few files that some of the associates were showing her. With a small vibrate, she opened the text.

'_Funny how you can figure out these things_.' Harvey's text said.

She smiled, '_I learn from the best._'

'_You're damn right_.'

Max was getting closer to Harvey's office, '_I've got the Bracebridge-Caullinder merger. I'm walking it to your office._'

His response was oddly fast.

'_Don't. I have a client_.'

Max's eyebrows furrowed. Harvey never cared if there was a client in the room. Any excuse to see her made Harvey happy.

'_Are you sure_?'

This response was faster than the previous one.

'_Yes_.'

She stopped in her tracks. One-wordered texts? Harvey and her never did one worded texts. _Must be a serious client_, she thought. Whatever it was, it couldn't be that serious. This client must have been high on the food chain if Harvey couldn't see her at the moment.

_It's not like he's meeting the Devil_.

* * *

><p>Harvey placed his phone back into his jacket pocket quickly, hiding the fact that he was texting. The client in the room was briskly gazing at his record collection, flipping through every cover. A small tick from a tongue, or a unceremonious 'hmph' would come out of the mouth of the client. Harvey noticed that the figure hadn't said a word since arriving. The figure, who happened to be a man, looked over the panoramic view of Manhattan. His lone figure was brazen and lean, with his full head of black salt-and-peppered hair perfectly sculpted. His turquoise eyes scanning almost every inch of the scenery, and Harvey could tell he was criticizing it in his head. His face was stern and aged, almost with a permanent frown. The man was overflowing with power as he walked with his hands behind his back.<p>

"I'm sure you didn't come to look at the view," Harvey said towards the man.

Billionaire Julian Satin slightly tilted his head towards the man sitting at the desk. Slowly, his face turned towards Harvey, placing a sinister smile on the already devilish silhouette.

"No, I didn't," the deep voice of the Devil said, "we are business men, you and I, so we should get on with our business."

Harvey pulled out the file, going over it quickly as Julian still wandered around the office.

"Now, Mr. Satin-"

"How is my daughter doing?" He asked, arms-crossed.

Harvey's eyes shot out of his face. Did Julian know about them? "I'm... sorry?"

"My daughter, Maxine," Julian said, walking around to Harvey's side of the desk, "I'm sure she's told you about me by now. But how is she, really? Is she good? Is she well?"

Harvey's anger rose. He's been keeping tabs on Max? What gave him the right to do that? Why did he care all of a sudden? Almost instantly thinking the thought, Harvey remembered his conversation with Max earlier that morning. Julian wanted the safety deposit box, and now he thinks if he plays the role of 'daddy', everything will be fine, and he'll get what he wants? Twenty eight years later, and this guy still thinks he has the right to call him her father? And out of all days to choose from...

"I was under the impression you wanted to speak of you enterprise." Harvey said, keeping his anger in check.

"My brother, Logan, takes care of all of that. I'm merely the face and the bank of the company. You ought to know. You, _yourself_, are the face of Pearson Hardman."

"Jessica Pearson would have to disagree," Harvey said deflecting.

Julian's eyes caught onto the picture on Harvey's desk. Before Harvey could say anything, the man picked up the picture frame, holding it in his hands. If Harvey turned away, he wouldn't have seen something that irked him. But his eyes lingered on the powerful man's gaze, noticing a sense of longing and regret in his eyes. Harvey would have taken pity on the man, only his anger outweighed everything else he was feeling.

"She is rather beautiful. A replica of her mother," the man said placing the picture back onto the desk.

The brunette was having none of it, "You loved her mother, right?"

Julian was taken back by the upfront approach of Harvey Specter. Sure, the man was ballsy, and he was willing to stick his neck out on the line. But Julian knew he could crush Harvey in a matter of seconds, and yet the underdog of the situation was standing up to him, with his tough exterior, but kind heart.

"I did, yes," the billionaire said.

"So why did you divorce her _while _she was carrying your child?" Harvey asked as he was leaning back in his chair, "Better yet, why didn't you at least make the effort to spend time with your daughter, that looks exactly like the woman you love," the lawyer was getting angry, and Julian was getting more curious, "How could you sue your daughter?"

"Now you hold your tongue young man," the brunette realized that it had been a long time since he'd been called 'young man', "you have no right-"

"What do you want with the safety deposit box?" Harvey asked in a neutral tone.

The older man scoffed, "How dare you cut-"

He cut him off again, "You better tell me now. What is in the safety deposit box that _you_ want?"

Julian would have snapped if it wasn't for the fact that the man, sitting down in front of him, had a very important point. But he was Julian Satin; he wasn't going to give up that easily.

"A ring."

The other man was waiting for him to elaborate, "A ring? That's it?"

"You make it seem like it is such a miniscule thing."

"It is," Harvey said in a monotone voice, "Why are you suing Max then?"

"I need to verify that it _is_ coming from the safety deposit box belonging to the Harris family, and since Max is not someone you can easily talk to, I had to figure out a way to communicate with her. Suing her was the only way I could..."

Harvey's eyes narrowed, "Speak to Max?"

Julian remained silent as he stood by the door.

The lawyer rolled his eyes as he stood up and turned to face the scenery, "For a hard business man, you are very easy to see through."

He was expecting a ear-full of rebuttals, but when Harvey turned around, he found no one else in the room but him.

* * *

><p>Max was at her desk when Arthur, the mailroom worker, stopped by her office. He handed her a bundle of mail; bills, letters from the clients, and a few junk mails from the bank. One by one she opened the envelopes, quickly gazing over the garbage written on the paper. She sighed, throwing out several envelopes before moving on to the rest of the pile. When she was almost finished, she realized her last two letters were not like the others.<p>

She picked the first one up. The envelope was light and the paper was thick. Very expensive, embroidered paper. It didn't have a return address, nor did it have a stamp in the corner. It didn't even have her name on it. All it said was '_Happy Birthday_' on the front. The paper was new, and clearly it had been written this morning. As she looked closer, she realized that the 'H' in 'happy' had an elongated line while the 'B' in 'birthday' had a slight curve on the second round. Her eyes rose at the font.

It was from her father.

Placing the note down in disgust, she picked up the other letter. It was heavy, and the paper was average. This also didn't have a return address or a stamp. The letter looked as if it had been passed around a lot, or it had been held by the same person frequently. It looked old, as if it had been written almost fifteen years ago. '_Maxie_' had been written neatly on the front, and she could tell a woman's hand wrote it. What shocked Max was the nickname: '_Maxie_'. It was from the one person in the world who knew her.

It was from her mother.

Awe ran through her body. She became so nervous, so very quickly. Her mother. Her mother had written her a letter long ago, and she was now getting it. Did her father send it to her? Or was it by sheer dumb luck that the letter fell into her hands? Max prayed it was the latter.

She was torn between opening which one first; her mother's letter, or her father's?

She placed her mother's down, knowing that if she read it in the office, she would break down into tears and sobs and people would think she was either crazy or she had a bad case of PMS. With her hands, she quickly opened the item, not caring that she was probably ripping hundreds of dollars worth of paper. _Ha, my father, never Eco friendly._ She flipped the sides up, realizing that there was also another sheet in the envelope, but she didn't care at the moment. She just wanted to get through the letter.

'_Maxine_', the letter started off with, and Max already rolled her eyes.

'_For a long time I've lived with the death of your mother on my conscience. If I had been able to change...'_ Max skimmed the boring parts, reading them over quickly. '_...I've missed out on your life... I wish I could take it back... your mother ordered me to try to stay in your life... she would be happy and proud if she saw you... the cheque for your trust fund is enclosed... I hope one day we can talk about what really happened-_'

"What?" Max said out loud, stopping her thoughts.

Trust fund?

She scanned through the page again, looking for that specific exert, '_Your mother made me promise that if anything were to happen to her or I, I would make sure that you were kept afloat, even if the company went down. Since the day you were born, a trust fund has been placed in your name. You are the only one who can withdrawal from the account, Maxine. Think of it as twenty-eight birthday presents in one gift. The cheque from your trust fund is enclosed, my dear. I hope to spend it wisely._'

She put the letter down, picking up the envelope with shaky hands. With her thumb and index finger, she pulled the small piece of paper out, with her jaw dropping as she stared at the numbers.

A two was staring back at her, which was in front of eight zeroes.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Fun Fact: Babbo is an actual restaurant. It is located in Manhattan on Waverly Street. Their food is amazing.<em>**

**_ON THE NEXT TAOP: Max's 'surprise' birthday party, protective Harvey makes an appearance, and what happens when Max comes face to face with Satan himself?_**

**_xoxo N._**


	19. Messages

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_Yes, I know, an update so quick? But I couldn't help it. I missed you guys! Well, that, and the fact that I have a busy week next week, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to update. So I decided to post this chapter ahead of time so I don't make you guys wait. I know, I know. Say you love me through the reviews._**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_P.S. I own Max _****_& Julian (Say Julian like 'Hoolian' in a Spanish accent. It's so awesome.)_**

* * *

><p>Two hundred million dollars. Her father gave her two hundred million dollars. The back of her head hit the chair. What the fuck was her father doing, giving her two hundred million dollars like that? First, he leaves her and her mother. Then, he disappears, but not before placing a 'trust fund' in her name. Now, after twenty-eight years he finally decides to show up and hand her two hundred million dollars, but not before suing her? Was this guy mad? Was he toying with her? Or was he just on drugs?<p>

She shook her head. Two hundred million dollars...

She couldn't give it back. It was her money now, there was no giving back to anyone. She ran a hand over her face. It wasn't like she was breaking bank, but she was starting to become wealthy. Now, it seemed that she was richer than Harvey. No, she _was _richer than Harvey at the moment. But keep it? It was her father's money. Although earned honestly, the man was mean, and heartless. He was probably trying to buy her back. Maybe it was a ploy to convince her to give up all of the items in the safety deposit box. Whatever it was, she didn't know what to do with the money.

A thought struck her, causing her to go into her contact book. She dialled the numbers on her cellphone quickly, placing the phone to her ear.

"_Hello_?" The sweet voice said on the other line.

"Hi, Anastasia Mathers?"

"_Yes, who am I speaking to_?"

"My name is Maxine Harris, I'm with Pearson Hardman-" she was cut off before she could continue.

"_Oh! I remember you! You helped me win my case against Harrison. Thank you again, you helped save my life_."

"You're welcome," Max said smiling. This woman was genuinely nice. It was a wonder why people didn't believe in her when the case was still open.

"_Everything alright? Am I in any more legal trouble_?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. This is more of a... personal call."

There was a silence on the other line.

"_I'm listening_."

Max took a deep breath, "I've been thinking about your trust fund recently. How did you decide to give it all away? I heard that you gave every cent to charity..."

"_Well, yes, I did, but you didn't hear the rest?_"

The brunette's head jerked back, "Not at all."

She head a giggle, "_Oh golly gee, you are one in a million Miss Harris. Well, yes, I gave away my trust fund, but only because my father gave me the company._"

Now Max was confused, "Beg your pardon?"

"_He left me everything. Including the company. Said I could be CEO anytime I felt comfortable with it. After Harrison, I realized that my father actually gave me a gift._"

Her eyebrows furrowed, "Is there some significance in that?"

She heard another giggle, "_Well yeah. My dad was a hard business man. They don't give gifts. Sure, maybe a bottle of scotch, but never money. I was even surprised he left me a trust fund. Fathers like mine; big, powerful business men, don't want to put money into the hands of people they don't trust. If my father left me not only four hundred million dollars, but the company he built from the ground, he must have really thought long and hard about it._"

Max chewed on the thought. Maybe her father wasn't out to get her. Maybe somehow, he actually cared about her. If Anastasia's theory was right, then maybe her father actually trusted her.

"So since you had such a big company, you thought you should give back."

Another giggle, "_I would have felt so guilty if I didn't. Plus, I have much more money than four hundred million dollars_."

Max just nodded, "Thank you, Anastasia. This actually was eye opening for me."

"_No need to thank me. Please, next time you call, just leave it at Ana._"

She smiled, "Well thank you, Ana."

"_You're welcome. Goodbye, and have a lovely day!_"

The brunette placed the phone on the desk, picking up the check as she brought it in front of her face. It was an absurd amount of money, but it was a gift from her father. Although she loathed the man, she should be the better person and just accept the gift. The heartless man did try to show affection, maybe this was his way how to.

"Thinking about it?"

Her eyes shot to the door, noticing that it was _not_ Harvey standing in front of her door. Nor was it Mike, or anyone else from the firm for that matter. Rather, it was a tall and stern man, with salt-and-peppered hair. His deep blue eyes looked into her hazels as Julian Satin looked at his daughter, Maxine Harris.

She swallowed, seeing as this was her first time seeing him in eight years.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"You look beautiful, Maxine," her father said quietly.

She hit the cheque against the table as he stood by the door.

"Why? Out of the twenty eight years you had..." She asked, "Why now? Why..." she said holding up the piece of paper, "What's with the money? And... suing me? Really? Is that your only way for you to talk to me? Or do you just want something that you have to just take it, and not even try to ask for it?" She was so confused, and so angry that she just needed answers right away.

His smile tightened, "You haven't read your mother's letter."

"Should I?"

"If you want your answers, yes," he said.

He walked up to her desk, noticing the little shoes hanging in the corner. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly in memory, "I remember your mother's face when she opened these. She thought it would look adorable on you."

Max's heart stopped.

"You bought her those?"

He nodded, "It was from our first Christmas together."

_Our?_ Max thought.

The old man smiled before reaching into his breast pocket, pulling out an expensive wallet. Unfolding it, he held a small picture, before turning it and giving it to Max. She took it from him, noticing it was a photo of her, possibly around her third birthday. A youthful version of her father holding her up, smiling at her.

Her father pointed to the letter, "Read it."

Her eyes watered as she looked down at the picture before she looked up to find something in his eyes, only to find out that he had disappeared. She shook her head.

Julian Satin, billionaire extraordinaire, heartless business man, ruthless aggressor, Satan himself... had a heart.

Before doing anything else, a knock was heard against the glass, causing her to look up to the face of Mike Ross.

"Ready for house hunting, birthday girl?" He said in a happy tone.

She smiled, wiping her eyes, causing Mike to notice that Max had been crying.

"Max?"

"I'm fine," she said, tucking the letter in her desk before locking the drawer, "Just a personal moment."

Mike nodded, understanding perfectly, "You wanna head out?"

She smiled.

"Yeah. I could use a break."

As she was getting up to grab her overcoat, she thought of something, "Why don't we bring Rachel?"

"No!" Mike said quickly.

Before Max could react, Mike recovered, "She's studying for the LSATs.":

Max grinned as she was leaving the office, "Finally the girl grew a brain."

As the brunette was out of the office, Mike sighed in relief.

_Close one._

* * *

><p>"Ew, Mike!"<p>

Mike quickly wiped his mouth from his linguine trick as the four individuals sat at the round table at Babbo, the Italian restaurant on Waverly Place. Of course Max knew the piece of pasta was gone, she still found it rather disgusting how it threaded through his mouth and... well, she wasn't going to continue the thought. To her right was Mike, and to her left was Harvey. Straight across from her was Rachel, who was savouring her meal. Max smiled; it would be Rachel who understands the true beauty of a great Italian dish.

The moment Max's smile appeared on her face, Harvey was mesmerized. He was always in awe of his girlfriend's beauty. She didn't have light features like the women he used to spend his time with, yet her radiance was stunning. Her looks were supposed to be average, but with Max, she livened up her appearance drastically. Her personality shone through her face, and it made Harvey take a step back and become humble. Her beauty reminded Harvey that he was blessed with a good thing.

"You do realize, Mike, that you missed half of the sauce," Harvey said, snaking his hand below table level to grasp onto Max's hand. She didn't look down, but smiled at his touch.

Mike ended up running the napkin all over his mouth.

Rachel laughed, "He was joking, Mike."

Sheepishly, Mike placed the napkin down slowly. As the blond cleaned himself up a bit, the caramel-skinned woman thought it would be a good idea to give Max the gift she bought her. Reaching under the table, she grabbed three boxes; one as big as her forearm, the other two smaller that the first. She passed it over to Max, who took it skeptically.

"None of you understand the concept of no presents," Max mumbled mostly to herself, yet the people around her laughed. She picked up the smallest one, noticing Rachel's eyes light up. She smiled; it was from her. Peeling away the wrapping paper, she looked at the box and laughed at the front.

"Type-faced wine glass," Max said, laughing. She read the font on the glass through the clear case: '_This is my fourth glass._'

"Clever," she said smiling. Placing the cup beside her, she opened the other small gift, causing Mike to squirm around. She rolled her eyes as she unwrapped Mike's present quickly. As she looked at the print, her eyes furrowed in confusion.

"You bought me a stain remover?" Max asked. Mike smiled as he pointed to a specific font under the advertisement. Max, following Mike's finger, she realized that the stain remover was not any stain remover. The stain remover specialized in removing a specific type of stain.

Orange juice.

"Bless you," she said, throwing her arm around Mike's neck. The blond was startled, but smiled and patted her shoulder quickly. He looked over to Harvey, taking in his confused face. Mike mouthed to Harvey: '_I'll tell you later_'.

Max smiled in happiness as she realized she didn't have to throw out her favourite shirts or get them dry-cleaned. The brunette wasn't a fan of dry-cleaners; she always liked making sure she did things, and when she did things, she did things properly. Pulling away, she held the last present in her hand. With small rips, she unravelled the item. As soon as half of the item was showing, she ripped the entire thing, having her mood change from silly to seldom in a second.

A photo album.

"You weren't studying for the LSATs, were you?" Max said quietly.

Rachel shook her head. Mike and Rachel had been waiting for the moment where Max was out with either one of them so that the other one could sneak into her house to take a few pictures that Max stuck onto her wall. After Mike told Rachel that he had an opening, Rachel left a few seconds after the two left, and headed to Max's house, using the spare key Mike owned. After some snooping around, Rachel noticed a box on the top of her bookshelf contained several other pictures. Very sentimental pictures.

She opened the cover to find the first page held one picture of her mother and her as a young child, and Max noticed this was from her private box. As she went through the album, the further she got, the older she was in the pictures. As soon she got to her twenties, she noticed that Mike slowly crept into the pictures, as well as Rachel. The last few pages was just of her and Harvey, several pictures she'd seen, and some she hadn't even known existed.

Looking up at all three of them, she noticed that the present was from all three of them. A hand snaked back into its rightful place as Max locked onto eyes with Harvey.

"Have you changed your mind on concepts of presents now?" Mike said, smiling.

Without looking away, she smiled.

"Maybe a little."

* * *

><p>"He said what?" Harvey asked, standing in front of Max's door.<p>

Max knew she had to tell Harvey about her father, and yet she felt that she shouldn't have uttered a word. Harvey had the right to know, but Max could see that the man in front of her was downright pissed. Maybe it was the fact that she told him that her father talked to her. As soon as she spoke of it, Harvey's mind went into overdrive, trying to figure out if he was being honest, or if she was playing him.

"How could you know he wasn't just toying around with you? Maybe he is just trying to manipulate you, Max. You can't believe anything he says."

"I know," the woman said before digging into her purse before pulling out the letter, "I'm going to believe what my mom tells me."

Harvey held the letter between his hands, his eyes glancing over the word '_Maxie_', "You can't be sure that this is from your mom."

"Yes, I can," Max said grabbing onto the envelope, "I would know my mother's writing even if I was blind."

"Max-"

"_Harvey_," Max said cutting him off, "It's from my _mom_. The one person in the world who I trusted with my whole life, who taught me how to ride my bike, cook pasta, and determine what is a Nebbiolo and what is a Pinot Noir," Harvey could see the pain on her face, "she meant everything to me Harvey. I can't _not _read this. It's like she's talking to me again, and this," she held the letter, "this is something she would do. She would leave me a letter to read when I was older. That was like her," Max looked at the piece of paper in her hand as if it was a bar of gold, "Messages. She liked writing messages that would be sent in the future. She thought it was a great idea."

A hand covered the letter, pushing it away from her eyes. Max lifted her head to see the dark, brown, remorseful eyes. She smiled at him, knowing that his eyes were telling her that she had the power now.

'_I'm here for you_', she saw in his eyes.

Words seemed to be useless. Here, she was seeing the vulnerable Harvey, and she knew to tread lightly. He was going to do something crazy and stupid, she could feel it. She wasn't going to stop him, of course. Stopping him would just make his initial action longer than they should be. She never wanted to see him hurt and worried and vulnerable. Plus, if you knew Harvey Specter, you never got in his way.

She placed her lips on his, enjoying his manly smell emanating from him.

"Be careful," she said softly.

He smiled slowly, leaning down to kiss her again.

"Same to you," he whispered.

Max turned to her door, unlocking it as Harvey began walking through the hallway. Once she was in the house, she turned, looking at the back of her boyfriend, watching him go down the hall. As she saw his retreating form, her heart ached. She didn't want him to go. She wanted to run down the hall, drag him back to her home, and just hold him as she slept. To wake up in the morning with him by her side, the feel of his rough hands in hers as she woke up, him being the first face she sees in the morning. She stuttered in a breath as she saw him walk into the elevator, hearing the heavy doors shut behind him. She looked at the envelope in her hand. As she did, she could hear her mother's voice in her head. A memory of when she was sixteen and she had her heart broken by Jimmy Austin.

"_Maxie, the person you love isn't the person you can imagine your life with. It's the person you can't imagine your life without._"

Her hazel eyes looked out into the hallway, wishing that it wasn't empty.

_I love him_, she thought.

* * *

><p>The cold October wind hit Harvey's face as he stepped out of Max's apartment building. He bundled into his overcoat, watching as his breath escaped into the night sky. He walked to his car, unlocking it quickly before sitting in the front seat. As it was warming, Harvey looked at the time. It was late, but he didn't care. The lawyer picked up his cellphone, dialling a number before placing it on his ear.<p>

It rang twice.

"You better have a good reason to call me at this time, son," the gruff and tired voice said.

"I'm not your son, Julian," Harvey said in a acidic tone.

The brunette heard a scoff, "So you are not asking for Max's hand?"

Harvey's eyebrows rose, "Why would you assume that?"

"For God's sake Harvey, it doesn't take a genius to see that you are head over heels for my daughter."

The brunette internally sighed. He cared for Max more than anyone he had come across. She made him a better Harvey Specter, if there ever was a better Harvey Specter. With Max, he might have been a little bit more than caring.

"What other reason is there to call me at this God forsaken hour?"

He was brought to reality, "To tell you to stay away from her."

There was a pause.

"With all do respect, you have no right to say that, Harvey."

"With all do respect, you need to shut the fuck up, sir."

Harvey heard a mattress squeak on the other line, "What did you just say to me?"

"You had no right to do that to her," he said, his tone becoming very protective, "she was fine without you in her life. She was making it on her own. You had no right to waltz into her life like this. Suing her was the most stupid first step you could ever take."

He heard a sigh on the phone, "I know."

If Harvey wasn't shocked at Julian's confession, he probably would have been amazed.

"I made a mistake, Harvey. Not just with the lawsuit, but with Max in general. Even Jojo for that matter," the man on the other side of the line let his voice sound old and remorseful, "Life was good for my wife and I, we had it all. _I_ had it all. I was the most powerful man, and I had a strong women holding me there."

"It all changed when Max came, though," Harvey said, filling in the blanks.

"No," he said.

Harvey was taken back.

"It all changed when I got scared."

He continued, "When Jocelyn told me about Max, I didn't know what to do. I am a business man, Specter, I'm not familiar around children. I took a risk loving my wife, but a child? It was something I couldn't do. It took me years and several break-ups with Jojo to finally accept the fact that I was in love with her. But how could I love a child just as much as I love my wife?"

"You didn't want to take that chance," the brunette mumbled.

"The divorce broke her heart. _I_ broke her heart. She never wanted anything to do with me after the situation. But Jo couldn't bear for me to miss out on the first years of Max's life. That moment when Maxine was born, and she looked up at me with those eyes and all that love that she could muster up... at that moment I realized I made a mistake. I ruined everything good I had in my life because I was scared."

The lawyer heard shuffling, "You listen to me. Don't you dare second guess yourself when it comes to Max. Harris women are strong beings Harvey. They will hold you up when you need them to. But once you take them for granted, do not expect them to take it lightly. Are you hearing my message?"

"Duly noted," Harvey said solemnly.

The brunette started his car, "But don't think that changes my threat."

He heard a chuckle, "Do you know how old I am, boy?"

Harvey couldn't help but smile, "I don't care how old you are, I will still kick your ass."

"Duly noted," Julian said before hanging up the phone.

Harvey put the phone into the cup holder as he started his drive home. For some strange reason, he didn't feel as hostel as he did earlier. Maybe Julian was trying to get to know his daughter, but Harvey could never be sure. What he was sure of was that Julian was right: Max was a strong woman, and the only thing he heard about Jocelyn Harris was that she was just as strong has her daughter, maybe even more. But did Harvey do more than care for Max? Did he feel something stronger? He was always protective of her. Sure, he was protective of Mike, and also Donna, but when it came to Max, he wanted nothing and no one to hurt her. He wanted what was best for her, and damn it, he was the best for her. He knew that was selfish, but the thought of Max with someone else tore his heart out of his chest. He felt incomplete when he wasn't with Max. He felt incomplete just thinking of Max not being a part of his life.

He looked in the passenger seat, wishing it wasn't empty.

_I love her_, he thought.

* * *

><p><em><strong>On the next TAOP: Max learns the truth, straight from her mother's mouth.<strong>_

**_Review?_**

**_xoxo N._**


	20. Maxie

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**I know, I know! Haven't updated, but I've been swamped with homework and work and school and catching up on all of the season premiers of all my television shows, since I don't have my fix of USA. Ugh, I am going to hate Thursdays...**_

_**Anyways, here's an update. It's a small chapter with only one scene, but this is a VERY important scene.**_

_**Just read and you'll understand.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**_P.S. Not my Suits._**

* * *

><p>She sat at the coffee shop, lost in thought. Her warm cup of Joe was doing nothing for her freezing hands. Of course, she could blame it on the late October weather. But it might have to do with the nerves which caused her hands to be cold and clammy. Later on in the day, Karly Klades was going to testify against Gregory Hart, and the blond woman was absolutely terrified. Although the thought of Harvey as her lawyer comforted her, it still didn't calm the nerves it brought seeing Gregory again.<p>

"Karly," the soft voice of Maxine Harris snapped her out of her trance.

"Sorry," the green-eyed woman said, "I'm just nervous."

Max smiled, "Don't be. There's no reason to."

"Thanks Max," Karly said smiling

A bunch of children in costumes ran by them on the other side of the window as they rushed to school. Karly's eyes rose in realization; it was October thirty first, which mean it was Hallowe'en. Now the women didn't have superstition, but her mother always carried around sage and a rabbit's foot. Was it a sign to not go through with court?

"Should we go through with this? Maybe we could reschedule? I mean, it wouldn't be so bad..."

Max placed her cup down, "Karly, don't freak out, okay? You can do this. Do not let Gregory win this. You are going to go into court, and you are going to win this sexual harassment lawsuit."

Karly let out a startled laugh, "Huh, yeah, sexual harassment."

Max's eyebrows furrowed.

"Karly, what did he do, exactly?"

The blond rung her hands together, avoiding Max's question.

"Oh Karly," Max said, reaching out to hold Karly's hand, "He didn't..."

Karly just licked her lips, "We were together before all of this happened. He thought that maybe things hadn't changed..."

"Why not go to the police?"

"It was too late when I told my father. It was his idea anyway. I don't want anything to do with that rat bastard, but my dad insists that we go after him. I just want this to end. We broke up that night. That was that."

The brunette's jaw dropped, "What? That night? Why didn't you tell Harvey?"

"Does it matter?" The blond said defensively.

"Yes, it does," Max said, "What would happen if that information blew up in court?"

"Harvey could handle it."

"Handle? Karly, Harvey may be good, but he is not Superman. They could use the fact that you two were a couple against you. You have to face the truth sooner or later."

Karly snorted as she grabbed her bag hastily, "The truth? If your so concerned about the truth, maybe you should take your own advice."

Almost instantly, Max remembered the letter in her bag, still sealed, still unread.

"When you find your truth, I'll think about revealing mine," the woman said before storming out of the coffee shop, leaving the cold October air behind her as she cross the street.

Max turned away from the door, and looked down at the bag beside her. She may be slightly agitated, but Max knew the blond was right. Who was Max to be preaching about finding out the truth when she had the chance to do it more than once? Reaching into her bag, she grabbed the almost-ripped, heavy envelope. With the butter knife sitting on the table, she sliced under the flap, opening the letter. She looked in, noticing there was several pieces of paper. She grabbed the letter. With shaking hands, she unfolded the sheets.

The paper still smelled like her mother, and almost instantly, Max got emotional.

She remembered her face; her warm, sun-kissed, slightly wrinkled face. She was darker than Max, and always teased her for it. Unlike Max, her smile was wide and brilliant, shining her pearly whites that unconsciously drove men crazy. She was loud and all-over the place, unorganized and frantic, but Max understood that it was structured chaos. She loved her wild, independent mother, and always wondered what she saw in her father.

She looked around quickly, noticing that it was still early for the morning rush to be in the coffee shop, so she settled into the booth in the corner, and began reading. As she was reading the words, she read them in her mother's voice and tone.

'_Maxie,_' the letter started, and Max smiled.

'_When you're reading this, you'll know that I'll be long gone. But that's okay, because I know that by the time you're reading this, I know you'll be strong and successful, and be happy with where you are in life, and that's what I want. I want you to be happy, baby._'

Max quickly wiped the tears leaking from her eyes before continuing.

'_Oh gosh, you were always happy. I know most moms say that, but whatever they say is bullshit, because they have never had a child as happy as mine._'

Max laughed. Her mother never punished her for profanity. Hell, her mother was a sailor when it came to potty mouths.

'_I remember you as a child, always brightening everyone's day. If it was just a quick hello, or helping someone with their groceries, you always went out of your way to help people out. Maybe that's why I think you'll be a lawyer one day._'

"What?" Max whispered.

'_That's why I took the job at Jackson Fortworth. Bringing you into work all those times wasn't just a coincidence, you idiot. I wanted to direct you in the right direction, and I am just hoping and wishing that you become a great lawyer. Maxie, you are so good at saving the little guy, or even defending the big guy when they need you to. You would never raise a finger at anyone, even if the little fucker deserves it. Sweetheart, you can talk your way out of murder if you wanted to. But I know that if you did anything wrong, you would own up to it. You always tell the truth, just like some hot, sexy, intelligent woman that I know. Oh wait, that's me._'

She laughed as a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

'_Now this is the part where I get serious. I don't want no if's, and's, or butt's. Ha, see what I did there? Okay, now no more playing. I want you to accept what I'm saying, and I want to hear you say 'Yes Mom' out loud. I don't care if your in a public place, or sitting at home, but remember that either I'm watching you from above, or I'm the ghost that's been haunting you. So I want to hear you. Do you understand?_'

"Yes Mom," she said, feeling as she was sitting in front of her as a spirit rather than from up above.

'G_ood girl. Now here is where I tell you one of the most important things in your life_.'

"Yeah?" Max asked.

'_Love your father_.'

"She was drunk when she wrote this," Max mumbled to herself.

'_No, I'm not drunk. Relax yourself, alright? Don't make me bring the wrath of God on your ass, child. I may be dead, but don't think I still won't smack you around, alright?_'

Max nodded childishly before she continued reading.

'_Good. Now, let me tell you a story. I know you know all of my stories, so I'm going to tell you a different one. It is about how I threw away your father's heart... before you stole it back._'

She gasped.

'_We were good together, your father and I. He was a hopeless romantic, and I was a schmuck for romance. When we first got engaged, your father picked out a ring that was obviously way too big for my hand, so he brought me to Tiffany's to pick out any one I wanted. Yes, I know I told you I've never been there, but if I told you that I turned down a twenty carat ring, I would __probably never hear the end of it. Anyways, your father picked out one for me: a single, white gold band ring. I laughed at him, saying I didn't like wearing rings in general. But your father loved the fact that he was a taken man. So after some deliberation, we both would share that ring: he would wear it on his finger, and when he wanted me to wear it, I would weave it through a chain and wear it as a necklace. I know, it was cheesy, but we were young. It made sense to us at the time; sharing something so valuable_.'

Max laughed, _Typical move by mom. Putting her own spin on things._

'_We were married for three years, six months and nineteen days before one day I woke up and felt sick to my stomach. I didn't need a pregnancy test or a doctor to prove that you were inside me. But the second I told your father, he emptied out the entire shelf of pregnancy tests at the drugstore. After a lot of water and a pile of positive pregnancy tests, your father practically dragged me to the doctor. The poor fellow, he had to tell the upcoming billionaire or jackass (which ever you prefer, baby) that he was having a child. He wasn't believing it for a minute. But there you were, five weeks old, literally a tiny thing. I cried my eyes out: I couldn't help it. From the second I saw you on that screen, I knew that you would be someone amazing one day._'

She wiped her cheeks.

_'Gosh, that was so long ago. Now I may not have your memory, baby, but I will never forget that moment when your father and I were sitting on the couch, with me five months in, when he told me that he wanted a divorce. Pregnant women don't move fast, but I'm pretty sure your father got whiplash, the little shit. For a pregnant woman, I destroyed his home pretty good. I stormed out of the home faster than when I ran to that sale at Coach._ _That's besides the point. I loved your father so much, and for him to want to get rid of me because he didn't want an offspring just pushed me over the edge. I made up my mind that night, that if I could wait until you were born, we could make it work out. But I was so angry that I didn't want to stay. Your father chased after me, telling me it shouldn't be such a big deal. I told him to shove those papers up his ass and divorce me when the child comes, because he would never win against a pregnant woman. I said some things here or there that didn't affect him, but once I told him he could never see you..._'

She turned the page.

'_It was like something inside of him snapped, realizing that he had a kid, and it just absolutely broke his heart. He looked so weak, Maxie. He begged me not to, that he would do anything to see you, that he was sorry, that he won't ever divorce me... but I put my foot down. I told him that things have changed, and it can't go back._'

Max's trance was snapped when the waitress filled her coffee before going to the next table.

'_Now don't forget baby, I was still thoroughly pissed when I said that, and he was pissed too. He told me that he was going to show the papers to my lawyer the next day, and that was that. I waited it out, because I knew the second he would look at you, he would forget about __the divorce, and the whole argument. But no, he was a douche-bag, and decided to take up the last four months of my pregnancy to finalize everything. I had the ring last, and when he realized that, he went in full business man mode. He called all of his connections, trying to take everything I owned to find that ring. It meant a lot to him, and I knew he wanted it back: that's why I didn't give it to him. I hid it from him in the one spot that I knew that he would look last. I knew that if I had this ring, he wouldn't leave me_.'

Max stopped reading for a moment to grab the napkin on the table to dab her eyes.

'_But we destroyed our relationship. There was nothing left but hate. I wanted to be with him, Maxine, don't ever think I didn't. I loved your father more than anything. I still do. But there was too much damage; we couldn't fix it._'

"Oh mom..." Max said, feeling her pain.

'_I know baby, I tried to make it work. But I couldn't change him. I made him into the heartless being he is now. I took the one thing he wanted most in the world.'_

"The ring," the brunette said out loud.

'_You_.'

Her eyebrows furrowed.

'_I thought your father wanted the ring. He did at first, but then I soon realized that the ring wasn't the only thing that was valuable that we wanted to share. I know I told you your father was in Moscow when you were born, but he was here, in New York. The second I went into labour, I called his ass up, screaming at him to get me to a hospital. Of course, this was literally six days after the divorce was finalized, but we seemed to forget that we were divorcees, and realized that we were soon to be parents._'

Max shook her head.

'_You know this part now, since I've drilled into your head that you put me through nineteen hours of hell. But the only reason I got through it was your father. He was my coach, my guide, my leader. Now that I notice it, the reason you are so confident and a natural born leader in whatever you do is because of your father. You both could command an army. You always know what to say to people to convince them to do anything, and my darling, you certainly did not pick that trait up from me._'

She felt it. Max finally felt a connection to her father.

'_As I was holding you in my arms, we didn't know what to name you. Now I know you're going to hate me, but I was going to name you Elouisania._'

"What the fuck, Mom?" She whispered.

'_I know you're cursing right now, and I give you every right to. But I thought it was cute, calling you 'Ellie' or 'Ana'. Your father laughed and pulled you from my arms, holding you tightly. That __was all it took for him to fall in love with you. He just held you, and looked into your hazel eyes; my eyes. Your father had those eyes he used to look at me with; adoration, care, love. I knew that he would never look at me like that again, since those feelings would be mixed with pain and sorrow, and I couldn't help but cry. He loved someone more than he ever loved me. Someone else stole his heart, and I was completely fine with it._

"_Max," he said. "Her name is Max."_

_I couldn't help but smile._

"_Maxine Penelope," I remember him uttering over and over again. He held you close and uttered sweet nothings. I ran your name through my head. 'Maxine Penelope Harris'. It was perfect. You were perfect. I wanted to take care of you so much that it sometimes drove me to insanity. Your father and I built a mutual respect for each other, and one day I just finally let him pay for whatever you wanted. So yes Max, every present I bought you, the house we lived in, even your university fund, was from your father's money. Being a secretary at a law firm pays well, but not too well, baby._'

She let out a deep breath. For her entire life she's hating the man, and yet he was the one who named her. Hell, he was the one who was supporting her and she didn't even know it.

'_I know you feel guilty right now, sweetheart, but that night, we talked about the situation. After sharing our thoughts, we decided that it would be much easier on you if you hated your father, rather than be torn between two parents. We chose the lesser evil, baby. Julian is an only child of divorced parents; he knows how it hurts between choosing which parent to love. It was better for you to hate him, then for him to see you in pain. Forgive him, Max. He wasn't the one who wrong you. If you're going to blame someone, blame me, because I was the one who kept you away from him. I was the one who fed you all those lies about how he was an asshole. Hate me for all those horrible things I've said about him, because he isn't heartless; not when it comes to you._'

The brunette covered her mouth before the sob broke through.

'_So please, I am begging you, Maxine. Start loving your father, because he has done nothing but love you._'

Max put the papers down on the table before resting her head on the cushion behind her. It was hard accepting the fact that everything she was told was a lie. With deep breaths, she took the papers again, reading the last page.

'_I love you with every bone in my body, Maxie. Most people would think differently of me now that they know the truth, but I know how your mind works, Max. You'd understand where I'm coming from without a second guess. I see you growing everyday, and you are already such a beautiful and smart girl. I've given you advice many times in my life, but this is the one that matters. So listen up._'

And she did.

'_When you love someone, regardless of who they may be, you must give it your all. I know __you might get hurt in the end, but if you risk it; if you give it everything you had, you won't ever hate yourself for not trying hard enough. If that person can't handle your love, then that person wasn't meant to love you. Cherish them, care for them, be with them._

_Do not be afraid to love them._'

Max wiped more tears away.

'_Now you have to promise me that you won't give your father shit for not giving you this letter soon enough. I gave it to him, because even though I think he's a prick, he's the one prick in the world I could trust with my last letter to my beloved daughter. If I know your father, which I do, he would spend at least six to nine years waiting to give you this letter, since I told him to give it to you when he fully grieved over my death. But knowing your father, I know he will never fully grieve, so I am just hoping that you read this._

_I love you Maxine, and don't you ever think I will leave you alone. I will be with you always, until the very end._

_Mom._

_P.S. If your father is still looking for the damn ring, ask your great-grandmother. She always did keep a message in a bottle._'

Max put the papers down on the table before crying into the napkin. She was silent, and he shoulders did not shake, but tears fell from her eyes as she thought deeply about the letter. She hadn't had communication with her mother for eleven years, and it seemed just like yesterday she was calling her, asking when she was coming home from work. Little did she know, that would be the last phone call with her mother. Max pulled her head out of the napkin, wiping her face quickly. At least her mother knew she loved her before she died.

She noticed the clock said six-forty five, and looking down at the last page, she saw the final sentence.

_Great-gran? What does she have to do with anything?_

Thinking about it for a moment, her eyes snapped up. She quickly folded the paper back into the envelope before putting it in her bag. She left a couple of dollars on the table before rushing out of the coffee shop. Sitting on her Vespa, she hastily put the key in the ignition before driving off into the rising sun.

She had to get home.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Changed your mind on Julian?<em>**

**_Review it!_**

**_xoxo N._**


	21. Paris

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_I know! I'm sorry I haven't updated. A busy week at school, since I've got five projects to do for four classes (when you do the math you realize one of my teachers is a prick). Here's another update; more of a filler, but if you've been having a gut feeling that Max and Harvey are going to take a tumble? Well, this is the beginning of it. Sort of (not really, I'm just hoping my brain sort-of links it around and makes it work. BUT there will be a factor as to what is going on. Okay, I got it, I'm rambling.)_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_P.S. I do not own thy Suits._**

* * *

><p>Harvey paced around in the office. It would have been normal if it was his office, but he was pacing in Max's office, wondering where she was. She wasn't answering her phone, and she wasn't in the office. He would have said he was worried, but he was around people he didn't care about, and the urge to tell them he was worried died on his tongue. He looked up, spotting Ezra chatting on the phone, which Harvey knew it was Donna, because in reality, he thought that Ezra was too cheery at the moment. He paced quicker and quicker, until he heard a set of steps at the door, before it swung open, causing Harvey to hear the sounds of the office. His head shot up to find his brunette woman, only to find a dirty blond having his hair slicked back while wearing a leather jacket with jeans and boots.<p>

"You did not just walk into the firm dressed like that."

"Harvey, it's Hallowe'en. We're allowed to dress like whatever we want today," Mike said with a slight grin. He noticed Harvey was in a worried state.

"If your wondering about Max, she was unlocking her front door as I was locking mine."

Harvey stopped pacing as his head shot up, "You sure?"

"Positive. She was having an early breakfast with Oliver Klade's daughter, and she went home to change her shirt, since some coffee got onto it. Said she left her phone at her place too."

Harvey sighed in relief, "So she'll be here soon."

Mike nodded, "Don't sweat it, Harvey."

As the blond put the file on the desk, him and Harvey walked out of the office side-by-side.

"What the hell are you supposed to be? Ponyboy Curtis?"

"Danny Zuko, thank you very much."

Harvey rolled his eyes.

"Get moving, Grease Lightning."

* * *

><p>Maxine sighed, throwing the papers down on her desk. She had been through every post-card her mother had in the security box, and there was nothing. Not a single clue leading Max to the ring. She found it odd, trying to find something for her father, but she felt guilty, knowing that her father was actually the good guy after all. She knew she should hate her mother, but Max could empathize with her; if someone was going to make a biography on Jocelyn "Jojo" Harris, it would be Maxine Harris. Or Julian Satin, depending on the point of view.<p>

"Come on, Mom," Max said to the empty space, "Give me a sign."

She looked around the room, seeing if any books fell, any cushions turned over, any lamps flickering... but nothing. There was nothing.

She threw her hands in the air, "Really Mom? After eleven years, you're still pulling bullshit moves on me?"

Still nothing.

"You're just as annoying as Harvey."

Max sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter.

For some odd reason, she felt her mom there.

"Mom, if you met Harvey, you would have been amazed. He loves himself just as much as I love myself," she said, toying with her hair, "I mean, why wouldn't he? He's gorgeous, and smart, and brazen, and..." she sighed, smiling.

"I love him."

It was the first time she said it out loud.

"Oh God, I know. After five months of being around his witty responses and snark remarks, I fell in love with the idiot." She traced the pattern on the counter, "Will I tell him though? Not yet. I want it to be just right." Max rested her head on her hand, "I know I love him, Mom. I can't imagine my life without him. It's just too painful to think about."

A thought struck her.

"Oh crap, Harvey," she said, remembering what Karly had told her that morning. Grabbing her phone, she sent two texts to Harvey, knowing that he was in court.. Getting no response, she sighed, before leaving her position. As she was walking into her room, the light on the wine cabinet was on. She found it odd, considering she didn't turn it on. What was even odder was the light that was on. Usually all three of the lights were on, except only one light was shining: the one above the 1943 Bordeaux.

The pieces fell into place.

"Could it really be that simple?" Max said, walking up to the glass, leaning in and taking the bottle into her hand. She put the wine bottle in front of the light bulb, trying to see through the glass. After trying hard to look through the glass, she sighed in frustration. Placing the bottle on the kitchen counter. If the ring was in the bottle, then her father could kiss that shit goodbye. But then again, if her mother opened the bottle to put the ring in it, it would have destroyed the wine. The seal didn't look like it was opened.

But...

"It's been tampered with," Max said, noticing that the wax seal was a little too bulky.

"You've got to be shitting me," she mumbled, grabbing the pumpkin carving knife. She went up to the bottle neck, inspecting it again. If she was wrong, she just destroyed the seal of a 1943 Bordeaux. With hesitant fingers, she slowly scraped off the wax, bit by bit, until she saw a sliver of silver. No, it wasn't silver.

It was white gold.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Jocelyn?" Max said hysterically, peeling off the rest of the wax that overlapped the actual seal of the 1943 Bordeaux. It came off surprisingly easy, and Max noticed the wax didn't harm the actual seal. She pulled the white gold out of the wax, picking the ring up in between her fingers.

Max laughed.

"You watched too many crime shows, Mom."

She held the expensive item in her hands, having it go over her fingers. She inspecting the ring: it was a large size, seeing that it was meant for her father. She noticed on the inside had words engraved on the ring.

"Love your heart," she whispered.

She clutched the ring tightly, holding it to her chest as she looked to the roof of her apartment, smiling.

That was her message in the bottle.

"Thanks Mom."

* * *

><p>Donna sat at her computer as Ezra, who was embodying Humphrey Bogart at the moment, leaned on her desk. The redhead, who was currently sporting the 'Janet Leigh' look, laughed and giggled with him as she worked quietly. Seeing as Harvey was turning into a flailing fish around the office, she took it upon herself to spend some more quality time with the man sitting beside her.<p>

"Clearly, you should have been Davis. You can't pull of Bogart."

Ezra gasped, "Says the woman who was going to be Shirley MacLaine."

"Hey, be glad I'm not Marilyn."

They giggled as Rachel, whose hair had been curly and teased, approached the two while wearing an off shoulder black shirt with a matching leather pants and jacket. The sound of her heels caused the two to look up.

"Well, if it isn't Sandy Olsson," Donna said, eyeing the leather-clad woman.

Rachel laughed, "Where's the rest of the Rat Pack?"

Ezra shrugged, "No one wanted to join in."

"Oh, well now that sucks," the blond man said as he arrived beside Rachel.

Donna smirked, "Us four next year, huh Zuko?"

"In your dreams. I like leather more than lace," Mike told her as he looked at his girlfriend.

"Tell me about it, stud."

The two laughed as they walked away, leaving the two redheads behind them. Donna turned to the man, noticing how he was picking at his fingers.

"What? Did I walk into your gin joint?"

Ezra smiled, "No. Just remembering that I promised my mother I'd visit her and take my nephews off her hands."

The woman laughed, "Well, good luck trying to get something from me."

"Come on, just a quickie?" The man said before flipping his hat twice as it landed on his head.

"Nice trick," Donna said as she continued typing on the computer.

"Where's my treat?"

The redhead smirked, "Goodbye Humphrey."

"Ah, don't worry. We'll always have Paris."

* * *

><p>The click of the typewriter echoed off of the walls of the courtroom as Karly sat in the witness stand, avoiding the eyes trailing her, specifically from Gregory Hart, who leaned in deeply to his seat before placing a smug smirk on his face. It was as if the blond recalled that night every time she saw his face. She held her eyes closed, not wanting the face of evil etched into her brain. Harvey was good, sticking to straight forward questions, and not deviating from anything else. It was the cross examination that had Karly worried. Not that Harvey was worried; the guy was practically smooth sailing.<p>

The brunette sat in his seat as his phone vibrated for the eighteenth time. As the defendant's lawyer was preparing his papers, Harvey took the risk and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He smirked; Max finally got around to answering him back. He was angry that she had him worried, but this was Max. He got over that pretty fast. Opening the most recent text, he noticed that Max was getting antsy.

'_Harvey Specter, I swear to God you better answer me_.'

He typed back quickly.

'_Yes, dear?_'

Her response was quick.

'_Karly told me this morning that she used to date Hart! They broke up the night of the harassment!_'

Harvey's blood ran cold.

'_Are you sure?_'

It was only one word.

'_Yes_.'

The man shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he swallowed hard. A curve ball. Harvey always hated those. A curve ball hit him in a shoulder one time when he was still playing baseball. It hurt like hell, since it was unexpected. This curve ball on the other hand was worse; he kept Mike off this case for a reason, since it was such a high-profile one, and the associate didn't need that kind of crap on him. If Mike was looking at the case, he would have found that little detail quickly. There would be no curve ball. There would be no sting of the attack from the damn curve ball that was thrown. Harvey should have known better than to fully trust Karly. He should have gotten every little detail to bury this guy, and yet, here he was, about to lose his first case.

"Miss Klades, you've known Mister Hart for quite sometime."

"He worked with me, yes," Karly answered.

There was a pause.

"That's not what I asked," the lawyer rebutted.

Harvey could see the case dying.

"I asked if you've known Gregory Hart for quite sometime."

"Objection," Harvey said standing, "Relevance?"

"Rephrase," the lawyer said quickly.

"Councillor, this better lead to something," the old balding man said.

The pepper-haired lawyer nodded, "It does, your honour."

Gregory Hart's lawyer paced the confined area, "Miss Klades, did you, or did you not know Mister Hart in a more familiar way, shall we say, romantic?"

"Objection," the brunette lawyer demanded, "He's deviating from the point."

"Overruled," the judge said, looking Harvey in the eye, "I would like to see where this is going."

The man looked at Karly, who was slightly trembling in her seat.

"Did you know Mister Hart in a romantic way?"

Karly licked her lips.

"Yes," she whispered.

"For the court, Miss Klades," the lawyer said.

"Yes, I did," the blond said in a louder tone.

"But you broke it off," the man said, pacing again.

"Yes," the woman said.

The lawyer stopped.

"Did you tell that to my client?"

Harvey stood up, "Objection-"

"Overruled, Mister Specter. Sit down," the lawyer said in a definite tone.

The brunette sat in his seat, feeling as if he began sinking into a dark hole. He thought he could win this case, being as he was Harvey Specter. He knew better than to go against this lawyer. He knew that there was that chance; that definite chance that maybe he would lose. He didn't take chances. The one chance he ever took was with Max, and that turned out good. He should have known better than to jump before he could push himself off the ground. He should have only taken one chance. That one chance with Max. But now, he caught himself kicking his own butt for taking a chance against going after Gregory Hart's lawyer.

The ironic thing is, Gregory Hart's lawyer was no one other than Cameron Dennis.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I know, a cliffhanger? What?<strong>_

_**I must be going back to my old ways... (Insert Evil Chortle).**_

_**Review?**_

_**xoxo N.**_


	22. Unspoken

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_I really do apologize for not updating in a while. Those projects were a mission (on the plus side, I aced three of them like a boss. I haven't heard from the others)._**

**_Here is your fill of TAOP! _**

**_Yes, I do realize I did not to a "ON THE NEXT TAOP" last chapter. So for this one, I'll give you guys a SNEAK-y PEEK several chapters ahead!_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_P.S. I do not own Suits, unfortunately_**

* * *

><p>It seemed that time was moving slow for Max as she sat in his office, waiting for him. He, who was Harvey, was due back from court, but the trial seemed to expand longer than it should. It was now almost nine, and the office was slowly emptying itself. Max was worried, since after Harvey stopped texting her caused her to go into a rut, she began freaking out even more. Did the case go south? Was Harvey going to lose his first case? Or was it that Harvey was able to turn it around in his favour, and add another notch to his belt? He wasn't answering his calls or texts and Max was pretty sure that she filled up his voicemail box. God, she hated waiting. As she was beginning to think the worst, the man himself walked down the hallway, pulling Max out of her trance and emitting a sigh. She got up as he opened the door.<p>

"Hey," she said softly.

Harvey looked bad. Ruffled, tired, exhausted bad. His suit was still pristine, but his hair wasn't slicked back. It flowed along the side of his head, causing pieces to fall in front of his face. His face, Max noticed, held the composed features that she hated. It was like his face was made from marble; set and unemotional. He sat down in his chair as Max stood in front of him.

"How'd it go?" She asked slowly, unsure of what he might say.

Harvey pierced his lips, "They settled."

Settled? Max knew that a settle for Harvey was worse than losing. If Max knew anything, and of course she did, she would know that the man sitting in front of her was downright pissed. She bit her lip; sad Harvey was much more easier to calm down than angry Harvey.

"I thought that was what the Klades wanted," Max said, sitting in the chair.

Harvey didn't look up from the papers, "No, actually, they wanted to sue him for sexual harassment, but instead they settled for breach of contract."

Max squeezed her eyes shut, "it was because of the relationship."

"If she had just been honest with me they would have got a whole lot more than ten thousand."

"That's it?" Max said.

Harvey finally looked up.

"What the hell did you think, Max? That the judge was going to be a biased son of a bitch and take pity on Karly? You think that Hart was going to tell the court that he was wrong and that he'd pay for what he did? No, none of that bullshit works in the real world Max, I just got fucking lucky with the ten thousand." He stood up with force, causing not only the chair to fly against the window, but causing Max to jump. He faced the window, running his hand through his hair, which was the reason of his imperfect locks of hair. He sighed before leaning against the window.

"God, if only it wasn't Cameron."

"Cameron Dennis?" Max said, getting up to stand behind Harvey, "that weasel? You forgot that he cheats to get what he wants," she placed her hand on his shoulder, "you're better than that, babe."

"Don't," he said as he shrugged off Max's hand.

Like his shoulder was on fire, Max pulled her hand off of him faster than she ever did. She knew he was angry, and he had been angry many different times, but Harvey had never directed his anger out on her. He always put it out on other associates, Louis, sometimes Donna, and on the rare occasion, Mike. But he knew the only way he could calm down was having Max there to calm him down, and that was why he never shifted his anger towards her. Yet Harvey was so angry at the moment that he didn't care at all.

"Just go, Max. I don't need you right now."

He looked out into the skyline, trying to find the peace within the lights as Max always did. But something inside of him shifted from anger to angst in a moment. His eyebrows furrowed, wondering why his mood flipped. It was so odd that it just changed drastically in a matter of seconds. He turned around to look at Max. She stood there, hands by her sides, almost looking defeated. Harvey hadn't seen her this vulnerable, not even in bed. Her eyes held sadness, and Harvey saw her hazel orbs become watery.

Oh God, he hurt her.

"Max," he choked out, reaching out to her.

"Go to hell, Harvey."

She took a step back before walking out of his office in stern strides. Harvey looked to his desk before sighing and shaking his head. He walked around his desk and opened his office door and began running towards the elevators. Just as the doors were shutting, he saw her tear streaks mixed with mascara mark her face, her eyes squinting in pain as her lips pursed from trying to hold her tears, but miserably failing. The doors shut with a clank, and Harvey couldn't help but grunt in anger as he threw a lazy punch at the metal doors.

_Good job, Specter_, he thought.

* * *

><p>Donna's sweat-filled red hair splashed along the pillow as she breathed heavily. She turned to the redhead beside her, laughing at Ezra ruffling his hair. Sex with him was great, one of the best experiences that she had in a while. She loved the way his body molded with hers; it was just natural to her. Her fingers danced along his arm as his hand rested on her blanket-covered butt.<p>

"Little devil," Ezra purred into her ear.

She giggled as if she were a young school girl, "Now you're just being modest."

He licked his bottom lip as he propped up his head, "Tell me something."

"Of course," she told him.

He gave her a lopsided smile, "Is that a birthmark or a tattoo down there-"

"Ezzie," she said, smacking his chest.

The redheaded man laughed as his hands trailed down her stomach, "Because it looks like it's in the shape of a flower..."

His fingers ticked her, causing Donna to go into a giggle fit. Her laugh was like chimes to him, and he couldn't help but love the sound of it.

"Okay! I give! It's a tattoo!" She screamed in between laughs.

He stopped, placing his palm gently on her stomach, "What kind of flower is it?"

Donna flipped her hair, "It's an Oxalis. It's rare, since it only grows in South Africa and South America. I just find it very pretty," she said, smiling up at him.

"Just like you," he said, brushing her hair out of her face.

Donna looked up at the man beside her and smiled.

_I could get used to this._

* * *

><p>Rachel clung to Mike's arm as they stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway of his apartment. The Hallowe'en office party was fun, seeing that several people wore outrageously hilarious costumes, and some, more specifically Louis, were wearing costumes that really didn't fit the par. Although they were both sad that they did not win the best dressed couple, they happily gave it to Norma and her date, dressed and Minnie and Mickie. As Mike was walking up the stairs, he wondered where the hell Max and Harvey were. When they didn't show up at the party, Mike just thought that they were spending time with each other. But he had realized Max bought her Audrey Hepburn costume for this specific occasion, and knew that if Harvey was wearing a costume or not, she would drag his sorry ass down to the party. So he texted her, and texted her, and texted her again before he decided to call her, and call her, and call her to the point where he was thoroughly annoyed with hearing her answering machine. As he opened his front door, he was still wondering why she wasn't answering his calls.<p>

He got his answer when he heard Max's phone ringing. Only it sounded like it was coming from inside _his_ home.

Rachel looked at Mike with a confused expression before looking around for the faint ringing. They both looked under the couches, in between the bookshelves, under the bed, in the washroom, practically everywhere. Until Rachel opened the fridge door, noticing the small white device sitting on top of the container of leftovers. She shook her head as she picked up the phone, realizing that the person calling the number was no one other than Harvey Specter.

"Mike," she said, turning around and throwing the cold device into Mike's hands. He stood there, deciding what to do, before he walked to his key rack, grabbing Max's key, and heading across the small hallway. He unlocked the door, giving light to the pitch black apartment. Rachel was right behind him as he entered the home, weaving his way through the small area. He made it to the bedroom, where he could hear the light sniffle coming from the bed. The moon was bright that night, filling the room with a nightly glow. He saw Max on the bed, blankets askew, falling off of the side. He saw her silently crying. He had seen her cry, but he never heard his best friend ever sob.

"Max?"

He heard the sigh coming from the bed.

"The phone was too much, right?"

Rachel chuckled, "No. I would have done the same thing."

They both heard the blankets move, causing Rachel to climb onto the bed and snuggle with Max. Both of them hugged each other; Max for eagerness, Rachel for comfort. Mike sat on the edge of the bed, leaning down to rest his head on Max's hip. That was how the three of them stayed that night, comforting the one friend who always was there to give them her shoulder to cry on. It was finally paying back what they desperately owed to Max. It was Max's turn to let her tears fall, and for her to open her heart. Mike knew she would only tell him what happened in the morning.

But for tonight, the only thing that was being said was the unspoken word of comfort.

* * *

><p><em>Forty six<em>, Harvey mentally counted as he picked up the broken dish from the floor. The minute Max left, he raced down the stairs trying to get to her. But it was too late; she had already been long gone before he made it to the lobby. After coming home, his anger got the best of him, and he began to demolish his million dollar condo. Lamps fallen, tables and chairs overturned, and Harvey no longer had any dishware. How the hell could he be this angry? He never was this angry when it came to fights. He knew how to deal with them. But this? This self-hate, this self-loathing, this self-wallowing... Harvey did not know how to deal with that. He was more angry at himself. How the hell could he have done that to Max? The greatest thing in his life was her, and yet he just was careless. Harvey hated when he was careless. He always made irrational decisions when he was careless, and he always ended up getting bit in the ass for it. He should have known better than to do that to himself.

He picked up broken dish number forty seven. He was so afraid to fall in love. He was so afraid of hurting her, that he always tried his hardest not to do anything stupid. Once he got distracted, it was like he just threw her away, also throwing away all of his hard work. God, he was an idiot.

_Wait_, he thought, _when the hell is Harvey Specter afraid?_

When it came to Max. He could control everything. But her? She was his wild card. She was his black-abyss of the unknown. Although Harvey hated not knowing anything, he enjoyed the unexpected when it came to Max. He was unpredictable, but Max was a whole other level of unpredictability. It wasn't like he couldn't figure her out, but Max liked to throw curve balls at him.

The good kind of curve ball though. Not like the one that was thrown earlier that day.

He stood at his kitchen counter, squeezing his eyes shut. His brain was going miles per minute, and he had no idea how to control them. He realized that without Max, he was out of funk, he couldn't function the way he used to. He became custom to running on auto-pilot, turning off his emotions used to be easy for him. It was because he never experienced the feeling of love. He understood why women have guys whipped; it was because the men fell in love with them, and Harvey fell for his woman _hard_. He realized he would do anything for Max. If she told him to give her a million dollars, he would do it, all because she asked. But one of the billion reasons why he loved Max was because she would never do something like ask Harvey for a million dollars. She was too good. Too sweet. Too kind. She was perfect, and Harvey loved her because she was perfect, just for him.

He grabbed his car keys and jacket before leaving his condo. He couldn't live without his perfect girl for another second. If that meant that Harvey Specter was to go on his knees and beg for forgiveness, then damn it, he would do it.

Even in a twelve thousand dollar suit.

* * *

><p><em><strong>ON THE NEXT (several) TAOP(s): Harvey and Max work together to finally put away the demons of their past, Mike asks Rachel a question, and the seasonal flu is going around... or is it?<strong>_

_**Review!**_

_**xoxo N.**_


	23. Better

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**Oh gosh, I know! It's been more than a week since you've heard of Max and Harvey, and I am very sorry! Project after project keeps coming up (heard back from the other projects...aced them, again) and combination of night school, it's not good for me. I think I am coming down with a case of senoritis (urban dictionary that if you don't understand what it is).**_

_**Here is your fix of TAOP! Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. I only own Max (and every other character that is not from the television show 'Suits')**_

* * *

><p>The blond sat in her room, blankly staring at the wall. That was it. It was done. No more would Gregory Hart bother her, nor would she ever have to think of that name again. She sighed, feeling as the weight was lifted off of her chest. It felt so good for it to be over and done with. No more lawyers, no more court-dates, no more statements and testimonies... it sounded like heaven to Karly. She could finally start living her life again. She could finally start <em>living<em>. A small smile appeared on her face. Maybe she could start loving someone.

Her ears tuned into the rambling across the hall as she pulled herself out of her bed, making her way down the long, narrow path. She could hear her father mumbling about something as papers shuffled around in his office. She lightly pushed on the half-closed door, looking at her father now. He was dishevelled and tired, and with blood-shot eyes he frantically looked over every page of her lawsuit. How he got a hold of the papers, Karly would never know. She looked at him with sad eyes, walking closer to the desk. It saddened her even more that he didn't hear walk in.

"Dad," Karly said, trying to pry the papers away from him.

He continued working, ignoring his daughter's plea to stop.

"Dad," she said louder. The old man still ignored her.

"Dad!" She screamed, only this time she grabbed the papers and threw them. Oliver's head shot up, his eyes softening when he saw his little girl.

"Just stop," she said whispering, "It's done."

Her father shook his head frantically, "No. No, we can get him, Karls. We can make him pay for what he did. He's not getting away with it."

"But he has," she said in a tired voice, "There's nothing you can do-"

"Don't say that!" The older man cut her off as he slammed his fists to the desk, "I can get him! I can make him pay."

Karly shook her head, "I don't care anymore, Dad. Do whatever you want. Get your revenge however you want. Just don't get me involved."

As she was walking out of the office, Oliver couldn't help but go over her words. 'Get your revenge'? Sure, Karly was probably talking about getting justice. To put him in jail. But in Oliver's mind, revenge meant something a little more extreme than that.

Whatever his thoughts were, they were dark and twisted, and certainly not justifiable to the legal system.

* * *

><p>Max sat upright in her bed as she sighed in frustration. After she forced Mike and Rachel to get some shut eye of their own, she tried to catch at least an hour of sleep. But Max's mind was running miles a minute, and she was wishing that she hadn't shooed the couple away. She was confused as to what to do with Harvey. God, why was she being so emotional? He was just angry; he wasn't angry at her at all, but just having him act that way towards her just threw her in a tailspin. How could Harvey do that? All she did was try to help him, and he just...<p>

She threw her head back onto the pillows. God damn it, he just made her so angry and upset. She was better than this. She was never this emotional when it came to Harvey. Sure, if he pissed her off, she could easily rolled her eyes and wished him a goodnight in his cold, lonely bed and to see her in the morning, which would result in an apology and several kisses from Harvey. He would hold her until she smiled, giving up her tough exterior and laughing at him, snuggling closer to his chest. She smirked; she had him whipped.

Key word: _had._

She shot out of bed, throwing her pillow along the way. No, she wasn't going to break up with Harvey over the stupidest thing. Yes, it hurt her, but she was being over emotional. They could easily overcome this obstacle. Granted, she wasn't going to let him off easy. He was mad and she was unstable and that wasn't a good combination. Once Harvey apologized, she would smile and accept it. That is, of course, assuming that Harvey was going to apologize...

No, no, no. He _was_ going to apologize. Max couldn't help but think negatively. Most of the people in her life who got close to her either faded away or wound up being taken from her. It was no wonder she always thought of the worst. But this was _Harvey_. She trusted that man with everything she had in her body. She didn't even trust Mike as much as she did her boyfriend. Harvey had never done anything to tell her otherwise. But there was always that chance.

Her thoughts came to a halt when she heard several voices in the hallway becoming louder and louder per second. She unwrapped herself from her blankets as she quietly made her way around her kitchen and towards her front door. Carefully sliding the peephole cover, she looked into the glass, realizing that the fight was happening in front of her door. The two men were arguing about something, or more specifically, someone.

It was a shirtless Mike and a ruffled Harvey, arguing about Max.

* * *

><p>His expensive Italian shoes caused the stairs to squeak underneath his steps as Harvey ran up the stairs as fast as he could. Waiting for the elevator to bring him to her level would have driven Harvey crazy. He needed to move around. When Max and he were fighting like this, he was always jittery. The brunette needed to fix the situation before he made it worse. He walked through the mazes before finding Max's apartment. As he stood in front of her door, he hesitantly took a deep breath before going to knock on her door. As he was about to hit the door, the door behind him opened, causing him to turn around to see his associate in blue checkered bottom pants and without a shirt.<p>

"Mike-" Harvey started before Mike shut his door behind him.

"What the hell did you do?" The light-brown haired man hissed to the dark brunette.

Harvey ran a hand through his head, "The case got the best of me."

"You lost?" Mike said in a shocked voice.

"Settled," Harvey corrected him.

"So what? You got angry and took it out on Max?" Mike said sarcastically.

He was expecting Harvey to respond, and when he didn't, Mike's eyes widened.

"You got angry and took it out on Max?"

"What the hell do you expect me to do?" Harvey almost yelled.

"Not act like a hot-headed douche-bag towards your girlfriend. You know, the one person who can calm you down when you're being a dumbass." Mike said with venom dripping through his voice

"Where the fuck did this hostility come from?" Harvey said, getting closer to Mike.

"Excuse me for trying to defend my best friend, Harvey."

"Oh, that's your excuse-"

Harvey cut himself off when her head the chain on the door clank against the wood as the handle turned, opening the door slightly. Harvey could faintly see her cute nose and her small mouth as Max slowly pulled the door open more. Her eyes, Harvey saw, were slightly puffy, as her cheekbones had a touch of red to them, possibly having to do with crying. It took everything Harvey had not to just pull her in his arms. Her face was blank, and that irked him. Max always had some emotion on her face.

Mike was about to say something, until Max gave him a look to leave her and her boyfriend alone. With a sigh, he opened his apartment door, entering his home quickly. As Mike shut his door, Max opened hers more, her face now defensive.

"Max," Harvey started.

She just looked at him.

"What? You need me now?"

Harvey shook his head, "God, Max. You shouldn't have heard that."

Her eyes widened.

"No, that's not what I mean," Harvey said trying to recover, "what I'm trying to say is you scare me."

Max's eyes bulged out of her head.

"No, no, that's not it. Just let me explain-"

"Please do," she said in a low voice.

Harvey sighed, "Max..."

He held his hands together before taking a deep breath, "Just when I have you figured out, you go and change the game. You throw curveballs when I'm waiting for the fastball. It's so hard for me to be with you because I'm afraid of hurting you. It's hard because I'm always trying to be on my A-game. I'm always trying to make our relationship as perfect as I can, and that's what makes it hard."

He reached out with both hands, taking her hands in his own as he spoke to her, "But that's what I want. I don't want this relationship to come easy. I want to work for it, and I want to work _hard_ for it, because everything I do, I put my all into. That way I know my hard work paid off. I want to work hard for this relationship because you deserve someone who works hard for you," he smiled, looking at her hands, "God, Max. Everyone knows that you are too good for me. Even I know that. Somehow you think that I'm worthy to be your boyfriend. I remind myself everyday how lucky I am that I have you. That's what scares me, Max. I'm scared that one day I won't be working hard, and I'll let you slip through my fingers."

Harvey clutched her hands in his own, "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I don't know how to make it up to you, but I am willing to take it one day at a time."

He kissed her hand.

"I don't want to lose you over my stupid mistake, babe."

The man looked up to see that Max had tears in her eyes. The small smile on her face caused her eyes to glow with glassy delight. Max couldn't help but laugh at the situation; before Harvey came around she was strong and sturdy. Now, he sent her in a rut half of the time. She was feelings things that she didn't even know existed, and thinking of her life differently. He made her soft; and she didn't mind. She sighed, clearly smitten by his words.

"Harvey Specter, you are an idiot."

She walked out of her doorway, grabbing his face lightly with both hands as she pulled his lips down to hers. His hands held her closer to him, finally enjoying the feel of her under his fingertips. Max pulled away, looking deep into Harvey's eyes.

"But I wouldn't change you at all," she said smiling.

Harvey shook his head in relief as he dipped again, stealing another kiss from Max. From the corner of her eye she saw her neighbour's door open. She heard the soft chuckle before the door shut, leaving the couple by themselves in the middle of the hallway.

* * *

><p>How Max had a set of sweatpants that fit him, Harvey will never fully understand why. He looked out of the small window as his head nuzzled the soft pillow underneath him. The previous night, he felt something he never wanted to feel again; almost losing Max. Thinking of a life without Max gave Harvey a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that made him feel sick. He knew he was in love with her; desperate and longingly in love with her. She was the only person to affect Harvey. Actually, she was the only one allowed to have an affect on Harvey. Damn it, he was so in love with her he didn't know what to do.<p>

He turned his head, propping his head up on his bend elbow as he rested his head in his hand. Max's hair was spread all over the white pillow case, having a few pieces fall onto her soft, peaceful face. Harvey hesitantly pulled the pieces away from her face, tucking them behind her ear. He was amazed that a woman, who he hadn't even known existed; a complete stranger, changed his life in an instant. He was a whole new person.

She was the girl he stayed up every night, thinking about. She was the one he thought about spending a lifetime with. He thought of things he never would have pictured himself thinking of; someone to spend his time with. He was happy to be alive when he was with her, because she gave him a reason to live. She taught him how to laugh again, how to not take anything seriously, and how to enjoy the little things in life. Harvey thought that what he had with Max was love. He was better because she was with him.

"I love you," he whispered to the sleeping Max.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Is it weird that I'm getting excited for my own story?<em>**

**_ON THE NEXT TAOP: Money doesn't buy happiness. Or family._**

**_Review!_**

**_xoxo N._**


	24. Lucky

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_I know that I haven't posted anything in such a long time, but I was going through a very rough time. Since it's been a while since I've posted, I thought I would give you all an explanation. One of my close teachers passed away the day I was planning on posting a new chapter, and my mind just kind of went on auto pilot. I couldn't really write, and the computer didn't really hold a purpose for me. But don't worry, now I'm done my grieving (I hope), and I'm trying to get back into my normal routine._**

**_So here it is; a new chapter!_**

**_JUST A REMINDER: Take into account that not whatever you read is the way it seems! DO NOT DRAW TO CONCLUSIONS._**

**_...I lied, draw to as many conclusions as you can._**

**_Or am I lying?_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_P.S. I do not own Suits, unfortunately._**

* * *

><p>The lawyers at Pearson Hardman had crowded the hallways, trying to get a glimpse of the action that had taken place. Either they were speaking of the events that had transpired, or commenting on the aftermath. Suddenly, people in the hallway started to make way for a worried, but more royally pissed off Maxine Harris as she stormed through the area. Clad in plaid pyjama bottoms, a wool sweater, a large bag, and a pair of moccasins, the woman was seeing red as she moved passed Louis' associates, the managing partners, as well as the woman herself Jessica Pearson. Outside of Harvey's office was a bunch of EMTs placing someone on a stretcher, causing Max's anger to increase. She threw the door wide opening, grabbing the attention of the two EMTs, as well as her boyfriend, who was being patched up by the said EMTs. She took an assessment of the entire office: couches turned over, coffee tables broken, autographed basketballs and baseballs strewn all over the place, and glass was everywhere.<p>

"Did you break any bones?" Max said in an accusing tone.

Harvey sighed as he looked over injuries, "Couple of bruises, a few stitches, a black eye, a sore shoulder, but no broken bones."

She nodded before turning to the two other men, "Would you mind excusing us for a second?"

The men looked at each other in confusion and wonder as they slowly placed their items down before quietly leaving the office. Max turned to Harvey, who had a sheepish grin on his face.

"Babe," he started, before he felt something strike across his face.

"You moron," Max said as she was slightly punching the man in front of her, "you fucking moron, you blatant imbecile, you... stupid, inconsiderate bafoon!"

Harvey grabbed onto her wrists before she could punch him again.

"You chivalrous bastard," she whispered, attempting to hide the tears in her voice.

Harvey held her hands to his chest, clutching them tightly, "I'm sorry."

She shook her head, "I told you not to apologize for things that aren't your fault."

She turned her hands, clasping onto his rough, comforting grip. Max had been sick that morning and had chosen to not go to work that day. Her stomach was upset and almost every smell made her want to vomit. Harvey looked at her attire with humour in his eyes. Her plaid plants were blue and black, and her brown moccasins were well worn. Her wool sweater clearly wasn't warm enough for the early November weather, which led Harvey to believe she was running on anger and adrenaline when she was leaving her apartment.

Her new apartment, Harvey reminded himself.

Harvey felt Max's hands tighten, causing him to look at the beautiful woman. She had the worried look in her eyes, but Harvey could see how proud she was of him. Max never condoned harsh violence, but her smile was clearly aware that she felt good her man got a few punches in. She was also glad he wasn't the one being carried out on a stretcher.

"I'm just glad he didn't hurt your pretty face that much," Max said as she softly ran a finger over Harvey's bruised eye. He ended up slightly jerking back in pain, causing Max to laugh.

"Serves you right."

The sound of the door opening caused the two people to turn around and face the new arrival. The man, which Max noticed that it was a very ruffled Mike, stared at the couple with wild eyes.

"What the fuck happened?"

* * *

><p><em>Three hours earlier...<em>

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you're alright? You weren't looking too well this morning."<p>

Max placed the third last pile of books onto the shelf as she rolled her eyes. Harvey always worried about her, which she thought was cute. Now, it just seemed like he was nagging and annoying. But she knew Harvey was just caring, which he didn't do for many people. She got up from her kneeling position to grab the other pile of books as she spoke through her headset.

"I'm fine Harvey. I can feel the seasonal flu seeping through my organs, but I'll just stick with orange juice."

"Yes, because you and orange juice have a good track record."

She smiled, "You know me too well."

"That I do," Harvey said as he held the phone to his ear, leaning back in his office chair. He played with the pen on his desk as he thought back to the morning he had told Max he loved her. Harvey was glad she didn't hear what he said. Harvey wouldn't know what he would do if she knew that he loved her. Would she run? Would she be scared? Would she have said it back? Harvey wasn't ready to let her hear him say "I love you". He wanted her to hear it badly, but he needed more time.

"What are you up to right now?"

She plugged in the light for her wine displays, "Nothing. Just moving things here and there."

"You're rearanging your home at ten o'clock in the morning?"

Max's mind didn't process who she was talking to, thinking that it was Mike, "I've been moving for a week and you notice now?"

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, her eyes widened and her heart dropped. Max never forgot anything. So how the hell she forget that? She forgot that she hadn't told Harvey that she was moving. Max had been working hard on keeping the secret safe, and to just blow it away in one conversation caused her to smack herself. Idiot, she thought, as she made her way through her kitchen, grabbing the wine. Harvey's eyebrows furrowed. Max moved? When the hell did she decide to move from her place? And why didn't he tell her?

"What the hell do you mean you've been moving for a week?"

Although Harvey couldn't see her, Max acted sheepishly and diligently, "Well, my apartment was getting small-"

Harvey cut her off, "So you decided to leave your place without telling me?"

She rubbed her face, "Yes Harvey, I did."

He sighed in frustration, "Are you trying to avoid me?"

She rolled her eyes, "That's a joke, right?"

"Did I laugh?" Harvey said bitterly.

"Why is this so important to you?" Max said as she threw boxes on the floor, "it's not a big deal."

"No, it's not, when you're not trying to hide something."

Max stopped in her place. What was he talking about?

"What do you mean I'm hiding something-"

Harvey cut her off, "Come on, Maxine. Do we have to go through this again?"

She sighed into the reciever, causing Harvey's grip to tighted on the phone. Was it that bad that she wouldn't tell him anything?

"Max," he said sternly, "why didn't you tell me?"

She threw her hands in the air, "Because I was afraid you'd ask me move in."

Harvey's grip loosened.

"You don't want to move in with me?"

He heard her sigh.

"Of course, Harvey. I would love to move in with you."

"Why didn't you?" He asked quietly.

"Because Harvey, it's too soon," she said, placing her movies on the shelf, "I'd love to, babe. But I can't commit to something like that yet."

_Can't commit to something like that._

That was the one thought that kept ringing through Harvey's mind. Can't commit? Maybe she was afraid. Maybe she wasn't able to commit because she didn't love him? Harvey banished the thought. Of course she loved him. She stood in five-inch heels on a cold and wet night, waiting for him to finish a meeting for his clients. She came early in the morning to clean and repair his home after he destroyed it. She even came with him when he went suit shopping, sitting in the chair for over three hours. How could she not love him? Maybe she just wasn't ready for a commitment like that so soon. He would give her time, he thought.

"I understand," he said with a slight smile on his face.

Max's head shot back, "Really?"

"Really," Harvey said, getting out of his chair, "just tell me next time, that's all I ask."

She smiled, "You're amazing."

He laughed, "I know."

She pressed her fingers into the headset, hearing the chime, notifying her that the call ended. Peeling her headset off and throwing it on the couch, she ran to the washroom, clutching the toilet. She had been feeling woozy the entire morning. Of course, she wouldn't let Harvey hear her being sick. He'd come straight from work and take care of her.

She flushed the toilet, sitting on the side of her new claw tub. How the hell did she get so lucky? She got Harvey Specter: Senior Partner at Pearson Hardman, and also one of the best closer in all of Manhattan. Harvey Specter was her boyfriend. Boyfriend. Not a lot of people had the privilege to say that. But it wasn't just the title; she got to actually have _him_. She got the guy who was willing to skip a day of work just to spend a day with her. The guy who would wait forty minutes for her, even when she asked him to leave. The guy who would do anything she asked, like take a picture with her, try a new food, or shamelessly dance like idiots in the middle of the hallway.

Yeah, she got lucky.

Her doorbell rang at that moment, and Maxine groaned in frustration. Getting up from her very comfortable position, she made her way towards her front door. As she went to slide the peephole cover, she stopped herself, remembering she didn't have a peephole anymore. She went to the small window on the side, moving the black curtain out of the way. Smiling at the sight, she unlocked her door to find a one Rachel Zane bundled in three jackets and very thick pants, with fluffy socks and slippers. Rachel's hair was in a high ponytail as her face was make-up free. Her pale face was a funny sight.

"Can we be sick together?" Rachel said, clutching her jacket.

Max smiled as she swung the door open.

"I'm guessing Mike told you where I was," Max said as Rachel shuffled in.

"I swear to God, you guys are siblings," Rachel said, plopping on Max's couch. She shrugged off her jacket, realizing the other brunette had turned on the heat to a very high amount. Rachel sat comfortably in her pink tanktop and light sweater as she crossed her sweatpant-covered legs. Rachel sighed, taking in the new apartment. The walls were a warm beige with a deep red accent wall. A corner bookshelf covered two walls entirely, now being filled with books. Boxes were still stacked, some opened, some still taped tightly. Pictures strewn all over the floor, waiting to be placed on a wall. It was just like Max's old apartment. Just... _bigger_.

"Don't tell Mike that, he might believe it," Max said as she locked the door.

Rachel smiled before she held her stomach, throwing her head on the back of the comfortable couch, "Oh my God, this damn flu will be the death of me."

"Preaching to the choir," the brunette said as she went to the kitchen, grabbing two bottles of ginger ale and a box of crackers, "I feel like death warmed over me."

"I feel like I ate Louis' lunch."

Max smiled, "I wouldn't put it past him. I'm pretty sure the guy eats rotten garbage daily."

"Ah," Rachel said as she ran a hand through her hair, "because he's a rat."

Max smiled, "Great minds think alike."

She sat down, sighing in relief.

"I want watermelon."

Rachel's eyebrow rose, "in November?"

"Mmhmm," Max said, cuddling with her legs, "with feta cheese... And pickles. Deep fried pickles with peanut butter."

"That sounds..." Rachel smiled, "delicious."

At that moment, Max's phone rang, causing the two women to look at the small device sitting on the table. Rachel picked up the phone, looking at the screen in confusion. She turned the small device to Max.

"Why is your doctor calling you?"

Max's face drained of colour.

* * *

><p>Harvey continued walking towards his office after his meeting with Salvatore Gross. He smiled as he strode down the hallway; Harvey Specter was in a great mood. He just brought in seven multi-million dollar clients to the firm, so why wouldn't he be happy? He continued to stride down his office, flipping the bird slightly as he passed by Louis' office, making his way towards the glass corner office. As he approached his office, he saw Donna not looking very well. Her gorgeous face was a bit discoloured and pale. He slowly approached her, leaning on the wall.<p>

"You know being sick requires going home and staying there, making sure you don't get anyone else sick."

Donna rolled her eyes, "Tell that to your girlfriend."

Harvey smirked, "Now don't blame this on Max."

"Oh," the redhead said as she kept typing, "I will."

The brunette man walked into his office, "Go home, Donna."

She smiled at him before getting up to leave her cubicle. She felt ill, yet it wasn't exactly what Harvey was thinking. Navigating from cubicle to cubicle, she found the washroom. In a narrow state of mind, she shot towards the bathroom door before pushing the door open, and running into a stall. She sat on the toilet, clutching her head. Her mind was going miles a minute. Her thoughts were swirled in a mess, and Donna needed a moment to think to herself. God, she was in such a mess. Donna was a smart woman, but there was always that moment where she couldn't, for the life of her, figured out what to do. With a shaky hand, she pulled her phone from the pocket on her dress. Her thumb slowly grazed over her contacts, finding the person she wanted. Her fingers pressed on the keys with purpose.

'_I need your help_.'

She clutched the phone in her hand as she rested her head on them. With a silent prayer, she hoped her phone would vibrate. She hoped she got a response. She needed help; she needed guidance. She needed someone to be there.

Donna's phone rang.

'_What do you need?_'

* * *

><p>Harvey sat in his office, having the record that was playing fill the room with soft music. His eyes shut in peace as he felt the music seep into his ears. His whole body finally relaxed after a stressful morning. The clients he had put stress on him, Jessica was riding on his ass, Louis was being his annoying self, and to top it all off he had a fight with Max. Well, it wasn't a big fight, but he and Max rarely fought, so any fight was a huge deal. Opening his eyes, his pen found its way into his hand. His eyes scanned the room, noticing through the window that Donna was not sitting at her desk. Taking into account Donna was sick, his focus became the documents in front of him. A few signatures later, Harvey was easily bored. He pulled out his phone, noticing it was just over two hours since he'd last called Max. Dialing the number, he put the phone to his ear.<p>

It rang once.

"_Hi_!" Max said quickly, "_is this an emergency_?"

Harvey's eyebrows furrowed.

"Just making sure you're alive-"

"_Fine_!" She said a little too cheery, "_I'm fine! Trust me; I'm okay_."

"...Okay," Harvey said hesitantly, "I'll come at seven-"

"_I'll call you_," she cut him off, "_Don't worry about me. Bye babe_!"

Before he could say 'bye', the line went dead. Harvey stared at his phone in confusion. What just happened? Did Max just give him the brush off? Whatever it was, Harvey placed his phone back in his jacket pocket as it hung off the back of his chair. Donna still hadn't returned and Harvey was getting curious. He began to get out of his chair when he noticed a very expensive suit walking very fast towards his office. His heart jumped when he realized it was Vincent Giovinazzo rushing towards his office. Harvey walked around his desk, leaning against the front as the Italian threw the door open.

"Vince... can't say it's a pleasure to see your face."

"You're funny with the jokes, Harvey," Vince said as he paced in the office, never leaving Harvey's sights, "real funny."

"What do you want? We closed your case weeks ago."

Vince's finger wagged towards him, "I want you to pay me back."

Harvey's eyebrow rose, "You hit your head on something?"

"Your driver hit my statue!" The Italian roared at the lawyer, screaming in his face.

The lawyer rolled his eyes, "When the hell was this? And how do you know it was my lawyer?"

"An hour ago," Vince seethed, "and I know it was your driver because your sweet woman was in the back."

That caught Harvey's attention.

"Oh yeah," Vince said, smiling. The Italian knew he hit a nerve, "Your beautiful woman. Your girl... Max, is it?" Giovinazzo said crossing his arms, "She is gorgeous, by the way. I mean, she looks great in just sweats, you know? A _real _girl."

Harvey's hands clenched into fists.

"And that tank top... Damn Harves, she's pretty sexy."

It took everything Harvey had to keep his hands at his sides.

"You better leave before-"

"Before what, _Harvey_," Vince said, shoving his finger into Harvey's shoulder, "You gonna hit me," another poke, "huh? Or you just gonna sue me," another poke, "like the little bitch you are."

Harvey's jaw was rigid, "Leave now."

"Come on Harves," Vince said laughing as he shoved Harvey into his desk, causing the desk to push back and have all of the items fall off the desk.

"Don't be such a pussy."

That did it.

Harvey's fist swung in the air, hitting Vince straight in the face. The Italian stuttered back for a moment before throwing a quick elbow at Harvey's cheek. Squinting in pain, Harvey ducked underneath Vince's elbows, lifting him in the air. He threw him down to the floor with a sickening crack, with the Italian landing at an odd angle. Harvey pelted the man with several punches before Vince's fist came into contact with Harvey's eye. Pulling back, Harvey was caught off-guard when his collar was grabbed, and he was thrown onto the coffee table. He grabbed his repaired shoulder in pain. He felt pressure on his stomach, and felt the blow of a punch hit his face. When the second punch came, Harvey was ready for it as he grabbed the hand. Although the impact caused him to flinch, he held onto the hand, twisting it harshly. Harvey heard a snap in the wrist, and the Italian's agonizing scream. He thrusted Vince off of him as he saw red. Harvey was hovering over him, punching him repeatedly. He lost count after five. As he raised his arm after several gruelling punches, he noticed that beneath the bloody face was the pleading and giving eyes that belong to Vincent. Harvey knew the fight was done. He got up slowly, quickly aware of his surroundings. Everyone was staring at him as they probably came over to see what the noise was all about. Harvey turned to face Vincent, who was lying on the ground. Breathing, but still lying there.

All Harvey did after that was walk back towards his chair, sit down, and close his eyes as he listened to the music still playing.

* * *

><p>"You're an idiot."<p>

The three of them, Mike, Max, and Harvey, sat at the edge of Harvey's desk as they saw Vincent, who was on the stretcher, being wheeled into the elevator. Mike was on the edge to the left while Harvey was in the middle, holding a bag of ice to his face. Max was holding an ice bag to Harvey's head as she rubbed his shoulder lovingly. She smirked as Harvey winced back in pain.

"Serves you right," Max said again.

"I got the gist of it, thanks babe," Harvey said, rotating his shoulder. He shrugged the pain off as he sighed. As soon as he was going to relax, he saw a very odd sight. Clad in his twenty-thousand dollar suit, Julian Satin was walking at a steady, but fast pace towards his office. He had the look of concern and bloody murder on his face. Harvey stood up straight, causing Max to turn and see what Harvey directly was looking at. Max's eyebrows furrowed. What the hell was her father doing at Pearson Hardman? As soon as he spotted the two, his pace slowed down, and his face calmed a bit. With slower strides, Julian made his way into the office. Mike gave a curt nod, knowing that the air got a little thick around these three. He left shortly, leaving behind the three other people in the room. Max stood beside Harvey as Julian rubbed his face.

"This is an odd sight," Harvey said solemnly.

Julian's eyebrows rose in agreement, "Not by choice."

He turned to Max with a small smile, "Do you mind giving us a moment, Max?"

She softly smiled and nodded, rubbing her boyfriend's arm before walking out of the office. As she was walking out, her cellphone rang, and she began digging into her large purse for the sound. Harvey's eyebrows met as he looked at Julian in confusion. When the hell did they start to get along? Julian being compassionate towards Max? Max _allowing_ Julian to be compassionate? What the hell was going on?

"Harvey, do you know how much it costs to raise a child?"

That was an odd question.

"Do _you_ know how much?" Harvey said in a mocking tone.

"One hundred and eighty thousand dollars, roughly. From birth to their eighteenth birthday."

"Alright," the younger man said, confused.

"Obviously money isn't a problem for you," Julian said walking around the room, "but what about time? Surely you are a busy man, you don't really have time for a family."

The lawyer shook his head, "What brought up the children speech, Julian?"

Julian licked his lips.

"Because the pregnancy test I saw in Max's bag might make you start thinking about kids."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Did I just write that? Really?<em>**

**_But don't forget, not everything is the way it seems._**

**_ON THE TAOP: What was Max really doing on that day? Did she stay home with Rachel and knit sweaters? Or did Max do what Max does and not follow the rules? Who knows? (Oh wait... I do). Tune into the next update for the answers!_**

**_Review?_**

**_xoxo N._**


	25. Ginger

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**I know, another long wait, but trust me, this chapter is good! I wanted to get everything perfectly correct, just for you guys.**_

_**In this chapter, the air becomes clearer as we realize what actually happened to Max and Rachel on that day. Plus, we find out what brought Vincent to Harvey's office. **_

_**On the note of that, people have asked me who I imagine when I write out Vincent Giovinazzo III. At first, I pictured him as Ray Liotta in Goodfellas, but before I even started creating that character I realized he didn't fit my description of "Vincent". But I did find my Vincent, and he fits it perfectly. So if you're wondering who Vincent is, he would be Ross McCall's character Matthew Keller from the great USA television series, "White Collar". Trust me, if you watch the show, for every time Vincent speaks, think of it in Matthew Keller's voice. Just makes everything sound so much better.**_

**_Well, enjoy!_**

**_P.S. Suits is not mine._**

* * *

><p>"Why is your doctor calling you?"<p>

Rachel held the phone out to Max, who cautiously took the small device in her hands. Staring blankly at the screen, she looked at the woman across from her, who had the accusing look to her face. Maxine sighed; she never really had good excuses when it came to things like this, so the truth was the only way to go.

"He's not a doctor. He's a coroner."

Ignoring Rachel's shocked look, she answered the phone, placing it on her ear.

"Doctor Boster," Max said in a neutral tone, "how are you?"

"Good, actually," said the male voice from the other side, "I know this is very odd for me to call-"

Max cut him off, "I understand. You were important to her."

She could imagine the silver-haired man nod in agreement, walking around with his lanky figure, "Well, yes. But the reason that I called is if you would give me permission to see her grave? After all, it is today."

Max's heart dropped.

How the hell could she forget the anniversary of her mother's death? Was she that busy that she didn't remember the day that her mother died? She had a perfect memory. Everyday of her life was to be remembered in high definition, to the last detail. So how in God's name could this woman forget the day that changed her life forever? The day that her mother was ripped away from her? Max knew that eventually she would have remembered why this date was so important, but she should have known from the second she woke up. She blamed it on her sickness.

"That's silly Doctor Boster," Max said softly, "You don't need my permission to see her."

"You were her daughter."

"And that's my call; You don't need my permission."

"Thank you Maxine," the doctor said.

"Max," she corrected.

"Well, _Max_, I hope to see you soon."

"But not _too _soon," Max said with humour.

She heard a chuckle before she hung up. Placing the phone on table, Max quickly turned to Rachel, who was clearly listening to the entire conversation. She could see that the caramel-skinned beauty had a neutral face on, but underneath that mask was the look of pity and sorrow. The hazel-eyed woman just shook her head.

"It's fine," she said with a dismissive hand, "she's been gone for eleven years."

"You still miss her though," Rachel said in a low tone.

Max nodded, "Everyday."

A thought had occurred to Max, causing her to get up from her comfortable position on the couch. Ignoring Rachel, who followed her, she walked towards her bookcase, grabbing one of the three copies of Wuthering Heights. She opened the book, pulling the spine out ever so slightly. She tilted the book, having a white gold ring fall into her open waiting hand. Rachel's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Max toyed with the ring in her hand. The woman sighed. Eleven years her father had been looking for the exact ring in her hand. Scratch that, he'd been looking for this ring for twenty-eight years, and here she was, holding it. She contemplated what to do; it was her anniversary, and she did sort-of change her mind on her father. Maybe... he needed the ring more than Max?

Maybe this was her moment for closure?

Before she could do anything, her phone rang, notifying her that it was a text. She pulled out the small device, looking at the screen.

'_Donna: Text Message_'

Odd. She opened the text message.

'_I need your help_.'

Max, curious, sent a text back.

'_What do you need?_'

"Who is it?" Rachel asked, walking up beside her.

"Donna. She needs my help, apparently."

"And the ring?" The caramel-skinned woman asked.

Max smiled, "It's my mom's. And dad's."

Rachel couldn't respond because Donna texted again. Max opened the text, her eyes widening at the screen. She passed the phone to the girl beside her, who read over the texts quickly, having her eyes widen.

'_I need you to pick up a pregnancy test. I think I might be with child_.'

* * *

><p>Canned soup, nightly medicine, water bottles, and gummy worms were the items that occupied the basket that Rachel had draped over her arm as she held a pregnancy test in her hands. She turned the small item over and over in her hands before throwing the item back on the shelf. Max, who was beside her looking at another test, smiled at Rachel's reaction, noticing that she was just as anxious as she was.<p>

"Donna said to take our time, Rach. She doesn't want Harvey to suspect anything."

Rachel huffed in boredom, "I know, but can't we hurry along with this thing? Someone might see me here..."

"Which is why we drove seven blocks to get our items," Max said, taking the basket from Rachel and placing the box in the red plastic. As she was walking away, she heard another item being thrown into the basket. She looked down to see that there were now two pregnancy tests. Max turned to Rachel with a raised eyebrow.

"Could be a false negative. Two tests to make sure that doesn't happen," Rachel said, walking ahead of Max to reach the cash register. After avoiding the accusing look of the cashier, they paid for their items, grabbing the bags and rushing towards the car. Max quickly hid the tests in her bag as she walked outside where Ray was patiently waiting, leaning against the passenger door.

"Ray, I cannot thank you enough for driving us around the city," Max said as Rachel got in the car.

"No problem at all," the driver said, holding the door open for Max as she slid in. From the corner of his eye, he could see the pregnancy test hidden in Max's purse. As Ray shut the door, his heart stopped in realization. Max had a pregnancy test in her purse. Max, who was dating his boss, who was Harvey. Harvey, who was the one person in the world who wasn't good with kids, was having a kid. Ray shook his head, Max couldn't be pregnant, right? Harvey was smarter than that. He couldn't be having a kid. It just... wasn't a good time.

Whatever it was, Ray walked around the car and got into the driver's seat. He didn't have time to think about the love life of Maxine Harris and Harvey Specter.

* * *

><p>The skyline was beautiful, Max realized, as she stood on the thirtieth floor of Satin &amp; Satin Incorporated. She clutched her handles on her bag as it rested on her shoulder. This was her first time in her father's building. It was a stereotypical business office; bland and plain, but serious and intimidating at the same time. No one spoke or joked around, everyone did their job solemnly. It was something Max hated, and she knew that she chose the right career. As she was still waiting for someone to notice her, a secretary caught sight of a woman in pyjamas, sitting on the plush couches. She approached her cautiously and accusingly.<p>

"Can I help you?" The woman said in a demeaning tone.

Max's eyebrows rose, "Yes, I'd like to speak to Julian Satin, please."

The woman scoffed, rolling her eyes, "May I ask who is _requesting_ to see him?"

The brunette woman smiled.

"His daughter."

The colour drained from the secretary's face as her jaw slacked. After a minute of her face staying that way, the woman gathered herself together before nodding to Max, scurrying off into the depths of the office. Max smirked; if she had built a relationship with her father she would probably have been able to bring the wrath of God upon his workers. At the same time, she was glad that no one knew who she was. Well, now they probably knew, considering the secretary possibly just told the entire office that Julian's prodigal daughter has returned.

As Max was debating whether or not to choose between a stick or a bat to defend herself against the army of curious employees, the secretary came rushing towards her, waving her fingers to tell her to come with her. Max got off of the couch, following the short woman who was scurrying between cubicles. As Max passed the people sitting, all eyes followed her. She now knew for sure that she could easily bring the house down on all of these employees. Max arrived at a large door in between two gray walls. As she hid behind the wall, she noticed the difference between Pearson Hardman and Satin & Satin; Pearson Hardman was much more homier than her father's workplace. The secretary knocked on the door, sticking her head in while mumbling something to the open office. She nodded, then opened the door completely, offering Max to walk through the door. With a sigh, Max turned the corner, walking into her father's office.

His eyes were lit with curiosity and happiness as his daughter walked into his office.

"Maxine," Julian said standing, "Please, take a seat."

The young woman nodded, settling in the comfortable chair. Julian sat along with her, placing his papers away, giving his full attention to his daughter sitting in front of him.

"It's very odd, seeing you here."

"I know," Max said going into her bag, "but I had to give you something..."

Julian's eyebrow rose as Max clutched her hand, stretching it out towards him. He turned his palm upwards, allowing Max to drop the item in his hand. She placed the small object in his rough palm, staring at Julian's face. She noticed his eyes when from curious to stunned in a matter of seconds. He held the item closer to himself, holding the item, which was the white gold ring he shared with his ex-wife. Max could see the relief in his eyes, but also the sadness from the memories he shared with his Jojo. He ended up clutching the item, looking at Max with glassy eyes.

"Where was it?" Her father said in a low tone.

"It was on the neck of the Bordeaux, covered in a false wax," Max said solemnly.

She heard her father chuckle, "She loved her crime shows."

The brunette woman laughed, "Yeah, she did."

It was quiet for a while, until the shutter of Julian's breath caught Max's attention.

"Why now, Maxine? Why give me this now? Out of all days?"

Max ran a hand through her hand, "It's because today is... the day it happened. It feels... right," she continued, "It's weird. Once I remembered it was Mom's day, something inside me just had to get that to you," she pointed to the ring, "I don't need it. I've got my memories of Mom. But you need everything you can get."

He looked at her with a small smile on his face, "I don't know what your mother did to make you such a beautiful woman-"

"She raised me right," Max said in a soft tone, "She taught me from right and wrong. She taught me that when someone needed by help and support, that I step up to the plate and help them out."

She stood up, "I don't cower away, trying to think that they don't exist."

Julian nodded.

"I know."

Max, appalled, let him continue.

"You know?" She asked, mocking him.

"I was scared Maxine," he told her in a resigned tone, "I didn't know how to deal with a small child, let alone a seventeen year old girl. To add fuel to the fire, you hated me. What was I supposed to do?"

"Fight for me," she said desperately, "You should have fought for your own flesh and blood. You should have fought for _her_ flesh and blood."

She was on the verge of tears, "If you loved her so much, why didn't you protect someone she loved with all her heart? Didn't you think I needed you when I lost her?"

"I lost her too," he said standing, "I lost the one person I loved the most. The person I thought the world of."

"So why didn't you fight for me?"

"Because you look just like her, Maxine."

Max exhaled.

"I couldn't bear seeing your face," a tear rolled down his cheek, "I know that it's not what you thought, but I couldn't bear looking at the exact replica of her. Seeing her face after she was gone was like... I was being taunted. You were a constant reminder of what I lost, and it hurt."

Her glassy eyes couldn't hold her tears anymore.

"But you still could have stayed..."

Julian hurried around his desk, walking towards Max. As soon as he was in arms distance of her, he grabbed her into his arms, letting her silent tears fall. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around the waist of her father. As soon as she got comfortable, she held onto him for dear life. It was a moment that not only Max cherished, but Julian cherished as well.

"I still can't forgive you," she said slowly.

She felt her father nod, "I know."

She pulled away, wiping her tears. She noticed that Julian's thumb stroked her cheek. Max realized that her father was actually very tall. She herself was five foot six, and Harvey was just over six feet. But her father, although old, was still a good six foot four. With icy blue eyes, and a strong demeanour, no wonder people thought he was intimidating.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she said going through her bag again. Julian noticed two boxes within the confines of her bag, but couldn't make out the design in time. Max gave an envelope to Julian, who with a odd look, opened the envelope. He was instantly confused.

"Why are you giving me the cheque back?" Julian said, holding the item.

Max shrugged her shoulders, "I don't need two hundred million dollars."

"Are you sure you're alright in there?" Her father asked, tapping her head.

She smiled, lightly pushing his hand away, "I'm serious. I don't need the money. I'm perfectly comfortable with what I make, and what I make is a lot more than what I need."

"But it's your trust fund, Maxine. What am I supposed to do with it?"

She grinned as she walked backwards out of the office, "I don't know... give it to charity."

She stopped at the door, looking back at her father smiling at her.

"And you can call me Max."

As she opened the door, she gave a small wave to her father, which caused one of the straps on her purse to fall, revealing the contents ever so slightly. Max must have forgotten what was in the purse, because when her father caught sight of the box again, he got a good look at the box in her bag. Max left the office, pulling the strap over her shoulder. As she left, Julian looked as her retreating form with utter shock.

_Grandpa Julian?_

* * *

><p>"I'm surprised, Max," Rachel said as her head rested against the expensive leather, "it took a lot of balls to do what you did."<p>

"I know," said the woman across from her as they sat in the back seat of Ray's car. Max looked out of the window to see that she was in the Giovinazzo neighbourhood, "but it had to be done."

Rachel nodded in agreement, "You feel better?"

Max sighed, "Well, I guess, considering I actually have some what of a relationship with my dad."

"You mean not completely and utterly hating him?"

"The man is charming," Max said sarcastically, "I can see why my mother fell for him."

Rachel smiled, "That's quite-"

Rachel's comment died on her tongue at that moment due to the fact that the car jolted to a stop. Her and Max braced themselves as the breaks screeched in protest. Ray's foot was slammed against the brake pad, stopping the car from whatever was the obstacle. The car finally stopped, throwing the girls back into their seats. Shocked, the two girls and Ray quickly got out of the car, surveying the damage. Max noticed that there wasn't even a scratch on the car, but a foot away from the front of the vehicle was a pile of broken marble, two movers who had idiotic looks of shock and worry on their faces, and a very angry Vincent Giovinazzo, storming around in one of his preciously expensive suits.

"What the hell was that?" Vincent said screaming at the driver, "What is wrong with you, hitting my statue?"

"Your statue?" Ray said approaching the Italian, "I would have to actually touch your statue in order to hit it!"

"You callin' me a liar?"

"Absolutely," Ray said as he stood his ground.

Before Vincent could respond, a small hand was placed on his chest, pushing him away from the dark-skinned driver.

"Boys," Max said defensively, "Would you stop acting like children?"

"Not if you keep calling us boys, _Miss_," the Italian said with a hint of sarcasm.

Max rolled her eyes, "Grow up. We didn't hit your statue. You're just making a scene because your beloved..."

The man pierced his lips.

"Sculpture."

"_Sculpture_," Maxine said in a correcting tone, "has been crushed to pieces; not because of Ray, but because of the fact that you hired absolute morons to carry around what is clearly a very expensive work of art. If you picked a couple of better workers they would have dropped your_ precious_ sculpture."

"Don't use that tone with me-"

The woman cut him off, "And why not? You certainly do not have any authority over me. Last time I checked, you can't afford to be caught in another lawsuit, since half of what you earned finally went into the right pockets this time."

"Such an ugly mouth for a pretty girl," Giovinazzo almost shouted at her.

"And such a waste of air for a complete dumbass."

Recognition swept across Vincent's face.

"You're Harvey Specter's girl."

She looked him dead in the eye.

"And don't you dare forget it."

Max sashayed away from the Italian, taking Ray with her in the process. She heard Vincent yelling and muttering behind her, but she rolled her eyes at him. People like the man behind her only cared about one thing; themselves. As she got into the back seat, the last thing she saw was a raging lunatic yelling at two unsuspecting movers. Max shook her head; at least Harvey knew how to control his temper.

* * *

><p>Sneaking past the odd looks, Rachel and Max began to make their way towards the bottom level washrooms in hopes to find a certain redhead. Approaching the door in a crooked hallway, Max tapped twice on the wood, waiting for the door to unlock. Once the click was heard, the two women scurried into the washroom, dumping the contents of Max's purse. Behind them, Donna leaned against the door, locking it safely. The third woman grabbed the tests from Rachel, heading to one of the stalls. The other two girls leaned against the sides of the door in anticipation.<p>

"You should have gone to a doctor," the caramel-skinned woman told the fair-skinned redhead in the stall, "that way, you're very certain. This is just a waste of time."

"I don't want the whole world knowing that I'm knocked up. I'm pretty sure Pearson Hardman has clients that like to run their mouths when they know about problems not involving them."

Max sighed, "Can we just get this over with?"

"That's what I'm saying. End this travesty and just go see a professional, and not deal with an electronic device. But really Donna, what if you do have a kid?" Rachel asked, rubbing her stomach from her last hurling experience.

"It'll be the cutest kid ever, running around with his, or her, mess of red hair."

"Oh God," Max said, "You've doomed the kid from the start. _Two_ redheaded parents? Just take the soul away from the kid already... You know, if you do have a bun in the oven, people will think you and Ezra are ginger supremacists."

"Maxine!" Donna screeched from the stall.

"Relax, I'm just joking," the brunette said rolling her eyes, causing Rachel to stifle a giggle, "you're very serious lately, Donna."

"Well I have every right to be," the redheaded woman said from the stall.

Before Max could respond, her cellphone rang. Her eyes came together in confusion as she dug through her bag. She pulled out the small device in her hand with her eyes widening in shock.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck..."

She answered the phone.

"Hi!" Max said in a completely different tone, "is this an emergency?"

Rachel looked at Maxine for an explanation. Max mouthed the word '_Harvey_' to Rachel, causing the dark-skinned woman's eyes to widen.

Harvey's voice was bored, "_Just making sure you're alive_-"

"Fine!" Max said cutting him off, "I'm fine! Trust me; I'm okay."

"Get rid of him!" Donna whispered from behind the door.

"..._Okay_," she could hear that Harvey was suspicious, "_I'll come at seven_-"

"I'll call you," she said over-top of his voice, "Don't worry about me. Bye babe!"

She hung up the phone quickly, breathing a sigh of relief. She loved Harvey. God, did she love Harvey, with all of his perfections, and his flaws, and everything he could offer. He was the most perfect boyfriend Max could ever ask for, and more. He kept his silence sometimes, and that's what she adored about him as well. But, as God as her witness, she could punch him in the face for all the snooping that Harvey did. Harvey loved knowing everything, but sometimes, ignorance was bliss. At that moment, Harvey should be thankful he didn't know what was going on in the women's bathroom on the main floor.

Max's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bathroom stall unlocking. Donna quickly walked out of the stall, holding two pregnancy tests in her hand. Setting them on the counter, she crossed her arms in anticipation as she tapped her foot in annoyance. Rachel bit her lip while waiting, and Max noticed she needed a manicure soon.

"How long is it supposed to be?" Rachel asked slowly.

"Uh," Donna pointed to the one on the right, "this one should be done soon. The other has another minute, maybe?"

"Do you want a boy?" Max asked slowly.

"Doesn't matter to me. A kid's a kid. Hopefully I'll love it, regardless of the gender."

"Or it's hair colour," Rachel interjected.

The three of them started to laugh.

"Could you imagine if the baby wasn't a redhead? Because that would honestly be the highlight of my life," Max said as she leaned against the counter.

"If anything, the baby would be blond, since it's the closest to red," Donna said wringing her hands together.

"Max," Rachel said, making eye contact with the woman.

"Do you want kids? With Harvey, if it gets to that point."

Max thought about it for a second. Kids? Really? Max didn't have a problem with kids; after all, sometimes she was one herself. But to have a child, with Harvey... it was easier said than done. Harvey may be a loving man, but giving him a child was like figuring out how to do a math equation the first time. It was a complicated and very messy process. She'd seen him with kids. He wasn't bad with them, if he treated them like mini-adults. Max knew Harvey wasn't ready for kids. Not yet, but maybe.

"Whatever happens, happens," Max said softly.

Donna's hand shot out to grab the pregnancy test. Max stood beside her, looking at the small item in the other woman's hand. Slowly, the picture became clear.

A minus sign.

"Oh thank God," Donna said sighing in relief, "Not pregnant."

Max turned to her, "Congratulations, I guess?"

Donna put the test down to hug Max tightly. The brunette started to laugh as Donna grabbed her body roughly, removing any stress she had before and releasing it in the hug she had with Max. Patting her lightly on the shoulder, the two women pulled away from each other. Wiping a tear away, Donna began to gather herself up.

"Guys?" Rachel said holding up the second test.

The two other women looked at each other before walking towards Rachel. They all gathered around the test, having their eyes trail the small screen. All three of them were dead silent.

A plus sign.

It was quiet between the three of them; Rachel, who was confused as to what to say, Donna, who was going into shock, and Max, who was thinking deeply about the situation.

"Well," Max said slowly, "we bought two tests to make sure that either you were pregnant and you were not pregnant. Now look what the hell happened. One tests says positive, one test says negative. We're still confused as hell, and we are still at square one."

All three of them shook their heads.

"Irony," they all said simultaneously.

Another silence over came the three.

"I told you to go to the doctor's," Rachel said to Donna.

Donna rolled her eyes as she shoved the tests in the garbage, heading out of the washroom. As she unlocked the door, she swung it open, revealing a crowd of people creating a path for someone. Max and Rachel followed the redhead out in time to see several medical teams pack into the elevators. Looking at one another, Max ran ahead of the small group, noticing that people were whispering about a fist fight between a lawyer and a civilian. Max spotted Ray in the crowd. As soon as Ray's eyes hit hers, she came walking towards him.

"What's going on?" Max asked the man.

"From what I heard, Vincent came to see Harvey."

Max's heart stopped.

"Harvey's not-"

"Oh no, Max, I didn't mean to scare you," Ray said rubbing her shoulder, "breathe, relax... you don't want to stress yourself, alright? Just take it easy."

_What the hell?_ Max thought to herself.

"Harvey is fine. Vince was the one who got the worst of it."

As soon as the words flew out of his mouth, Max ran towards the elevator.

Harvey Specter was an idiot.

* * *

><p><strong><em>There you have it! The other half of the story.<em>**

**_ON THE NEXT TAOP: A search on behalf of a friend leads Harvey to have a conversation with Max's mother._**

**_Review?_**

**_xoxo N._**


	26. Dream

_**Hey Everyone!**_

**_Sorry for the delay, school is getting very hectic, and I have had no time to study._**

**_So, without further ado, here is the next instalment of TAOP_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_P.S. I don't own Suits._**

* * *

><p>"Max is pregnant?"<p>

Harvey's hand was around Mike's skinny tie almost instantly as he pulled on it to shush him, as if he were a dog on a leash. The blonde did have a loud mouth when screaming out secrets in disbelief.

"Jesus Mike, keep it down," the brunette said, letting go of his tie, and kept leaning against the car. They were waiting for Max and Rachel to finish shopping for flowers, for God knows what reason. Ray was leaning against the tire, shaking his head at Mike.

"Are you sure?" Mike asked, earning him a look from Harvey.

"She's been over emotional for the past two weeks," Harvey said rubbing his forehead, "Every morning these few days, she's been sick, and Julian said that he saw a pregnancy test in her bag. Tell me that's not enough for you."

"How are you holding up?" Ray's soft voice asked.

One of the best closers in all of Manhattan looked at the driver with tired eyes. It took all of Harvey's power to not break down, confused and distraught. Mike was not helping. At all. So, Harvey may have slipped up and gotten her pregnant. No, it wasn't a maybe. He _did_ slip up. His dad always told him to be smarter when it came to... that. Of course, Harvey listened to his father all through high school, and his young adulthood, all through Harvard, and every girl he'd slept with when he was with the firm. He was always careful. But the one girl he wanted to stay with, the one girl he wanted to be with, the one girl he loved most in the entire world... was pregnant.

But was that necessarily a bad thing?

His eyes looked up through the window of the flower shop. She had changed out of her sleeping attire into a comfy pair of jeans and a peach long-sleeved shirt under her jacket. Max had let her hair out of her ponytail, letting her naturally wavy curls fall gracefully down her back. Her caramel-kissed chocolate locks framed her beautiful fair face, which now had some colour on it. Her hazel eyes were lit with happiness, as did her bright smile. Harvey couldn't see anyone more gorgeous than the woman he shared his life with. But he could imagine someone amounting to her beauty, or even overshadowing.

Her child.

Harvey could picture it completely. A little Harvey, or a mini Maxine, with their mother's hair delicately styled to match their father's. Or their father's deep brown eyes, but their mother's smile. Maybe a little bit both of their nose. Their father's will to always win and always succeed, but with their mother's grace and patience. Their mother's kindness, and humbleness. Their mother's mind; the intelligence it possesses, but to have a hint their father's cockiness when the time came down to it. They definitely need to have their father's confidence, but also their mother's confidence in people. Both of their parents passion. Both of their parents beauty. Both of their parents love. Their child, Maxine Harris' and Harvey Specter's child, would be a perfect mix of them both.

Harvey's new dream.

No, Max being pregnant was most definitely not a bad thing.

"Better than before," Harvey told the two men slowly.

Mike nodded, "Seems like you've come around to the idea."

Harvey shot Mike a look before turning his attention back to the girls.

"Why are they even in there? Seems odd to buy flowers in November."

"I have a feeling it might be something to do with Max's mom," Mike said as he crossed his arms.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well," the blond said as he leaned against the car, "Max is about to become a mother, therefore she is thinking about motherhood, which leads her to think about her own mother."

"Oh God," Harvey said, joining Mike and Ray against the car, "Max as a mom... and me? As a dad? Both of us, having a kid?"

"Could be a Harvey Junior?" Mike suggested.

"Could be a Little Max possibly," Harvey mumbled.

"Could be both," Ray chimed in.

Harvey's eyes popped out of his head.

The girls chose that specific moment to leave the flower shop, arriving just in front of the three gentleman standing beside the car. The second Max left the flower shop she felt the energy radiating off of the three men beside her. She felt them tense up when she stopped in front of them. With a raised eyebrow, Max turned to the brunette.

"You seem wound up," she said with a shrug.

"I'm not," Harvey said, pulling her close as he placed a soft kiss on her temple.

_Odd_, Max thought, _Harvey isn't known for his PDA..._

Rachel pulled Mike with her as she began walking away from the couple. Mike protested, but Rachel seemed keen on keeping Mike away from the other two individuals. With a wink from Rachel, Max smiled at her, moving away from her spot as she was pulling Harvey along with her. Ray quickly got into the driver's seat as she and Harvey settled into the back seat. Max quickly gave Ray an address before leaning her head on Harvey's shoulder.

"You planning on something?" Harvey asked her.

She just smirked.

"Just going to visit someone."

* * *

><p>As the car pulled into the parking lot, Harvey knew what Max was planning. He looked to the side, noticing his sweet Max. She was seldom, and clearly emotional. Not necessarily crying, but Harvey could see his girl's slightly trembling lip. His hand slowly clasped onto hers, feeling the coldness in her fingers, which shocked Harvey. Max's hands were always very warm, to the point where she never needed gloves in winter. He took his other hand, grabbing both of hers and placing them together. Harvey noticed that whenever Max had cold hands was from her nervousness; her uncertainty, which Harvey knew Max did not need at that moment. Max only smiled as she looked out the window; God, she was so blessed to have a man like Harvey. Yes, he drove her crazy, and yes, sometimes she wanted to pull her hair out because of him. But he was perfect for her, and she knew that she was the best thing to ever happen to Harvey.<p>

Which is why she brought him here.

She turned her head, looking into Harvey's chocolate eyes. With a small smile, she pulled her hand out of his, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb. Almost instantly, he leaned into her touch. Max always knew she had Harvey wound up in her finger, but she never knew the extent of it until that very moment. Harvey would follow her to the ends of the earth if she asked him too. They weren't often affectionate with each other in public, and yet here they were, sitting in the car. He was supporting her, just as she supported him in everything he did.

She really did love him just as much as he loved her.

He opened the door, getting out of the car slowly as Max got out of the other side. After shutting the doors in unison, Harvey walked around the car, walking side-by-side with Max, who was holding the bundle of flowers, as they walked through the rows of people. Although he supported her in every way, these types of places always gave him goosebumps. It was eery and creepy, and Harvey always heard ghost stories about this place.

Harvey really did hated cemeteries.

Max turned her head to see Harvey walking perfectly between the line of tombstone and the feet of the coffin, which she couldn't help but laugh at.

He shot her a look, "You're laughing at a cemetery?"

"I'm laughing at you," she said as she pulled him closer to her, wrapping her arm around his, "I'm sure the dead won't mind if you unintentionally step on them, Harvey. It's not like they're going to bite back."

"Sue me for watching too many zombie movies in my youth," he said as he was avoiding a tombstone that was sticking out farther than the rest. Max shrilled out in laughter again.

"Babe, you face the most scariest men to exist on a daily basis, and yet you're afraid of a little superstition?"

"It's not superstition," he said slowly walking, "it's more of respect for the dead."

She shook her head, "I will never get a straight answer from you, will I?"

"Only if you ask, babe," he said, placing a kiss on her temple.

Max would have responded if she hadn't noticed the tombstone in front of her. She came to a slow stop, causing Harvey to walk out in front of her a bit. He stopped in his tracks as well, turning to face the woman behind him. Her eyes were directed down in front of her, which Harvey followed suit. His eyes roamed over the intriguing tombstone engraved with several different flowers and lines. Max knelt in front of the tombstone, placing the bouquet of flowers at the base of the headstone. Her fingers trailed over the words carved into the rock.

_Jocelyn Adeline Harris_

_June 6__th__ 1963 – November 19__th__ 2000_

_Loving Daughter, Mother, and Friend_

"_If life is not fair, then get off your fat ass and fix it."_

"Hey Mom."

Max said as she sat on her heels, "I know, it's been a while. I kind of missed this," the brunette said as her hips shifted to the ground, "Us, talking. Or more specifically, I talk and you listen, because, you know, you're dead." Max brushed her hair out of her face as she sighed, "I've been good, Ma. You should see me now. I made partner, moved out of the shit-hole where I used to live..." she turned to Harvey, who was standing solemnly with his hands in his pockets. She softly smiled at him, and he smiled at her, before turning back to the tombstone.

"I fell in love too."

Harvey's heart stopped, not that Max noticed. She _fell in love_?

She _loved_ him?

It was clear that she did through her actions, but she actually said that she fell in love.

"Harvey's great, Ma," she said unfazed, "Possibly the best boyfriend I've ever had. No, he is the best boyfriend I've ever had. He treats me right," Harvey could see that she clearly was in her own world, speaking to her mother directly, "I wish you would have met him. I feel that Harvey and I are right, Mom. Just like you and Dad."

Her eyebrows rose, "I almost forgot about Dad... We're good now. I can stay in the same room with him without trying to kill him, which is an odd feeling," Max stroked the stone in front of her, "He gave me the letter... and yes, I'm mad at you. Yeah, you had it coming though. But it's not like I don't see where you're coming from. I would have done the same."

The tears finally fell from her face, "I'm okay now, Ma. It doesn't hurt anymore, thinking about you. I feel good. I feel happy. I _am_ happy."

She sighed, "I miss you everyday. I wish you could talk to me again, just to hear all the smart-ass remarks you have."

She kissed the tombstone, "I love you, Mom."

Max pulled herself up, noticing Harvey's hand assisting her. She placed her hand in Harvey's, and Harvey noticed instantly that Max's hands were warm. Harvey sighed in relief; Max was back in control. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she rested her head on his chest. She snuggled to him, feeling the comfort that was surrounding her.

"Come on," she said, pulling him away from where they were standing. Harvey stood in his place as he smiled at her.

"Give me a moment," he said to her.

With a raised eyebrow, she slowly started walking towards the car. As Max was halfway, she looked back to see Harvey in front of the tombstone, with his mouth moving. At first, she thought he was saying a prayer, but from where Max was standing, it looked like...

_No way_, she thought.

_Harvey's talking to Mom_?

* * *

><p>Harvey stood in front of the headstone as his mind was running miles a minute.<p>

"Hi, Miss Harris," Harvey said slowly.

After a soft pause, Harvey smiled softly, "I wish we would have met under better circumstances," he told the wind. He stood there, piercing his lips together. He sighed deeply; Harvey wasn't used to talking to the dead. He never liked funerals; nor did he like imagining that things that didn't exist, did in fact exist. But Max's mom was important to her, and Max was important to him.

"I promise to take care of her, Miss Harris," he felt like he was promising the mother of his sixteen year old date that he would have her home before ten, but he had to do it, "I promise to make her happy every day that I can. I promise to treasure her, so you don't have to worry about her anymore," he smiled at the tombstone, "I can give you a million reasons why. She's the only person to make me smile. She makes me feel happy. She makes me a better person. She's always there for me," he sighed, "I could keep giving you reason after reason, but truthfully..."

He smiled.

"I love her."

He knelt down in front of the rock, tracing the words engraved in it, "I promise to cherish her the way you would have wanted, and then some. I'll treat her better than a queen. I'll love her more than anyone else ever could... besides you, of course," he said, laughing. "I wished I had met you. Max says all these amazing things about you, and I miss them, even though I never got to see them myself."

He moved from his position, standing up straight. As he stood, he turned his head, noticing Max was watching him from her spot beside the car. He smiled at her before turning back to the woman in front of him.

"Max is going to be a great mom. I know this because you were a great mom for raising such a perfect daughter."

He began to walk away, "You would have been a great grandmother, too."

Harvey stuffed his hands in his coat pockets as he began making his way towards Max. She smiled at his form. She still didn't believe that this was the same man from whom she met almost six months ago. He used to be cocky, brash, and blatantly rude. But now Harvey was confident, cautious, and blatantly kind. He was so different, and yet he was still the same Harvey, only a kinder, better version of him.

He approached her slowly, with a small smile on his face. As she looked at him, the wind blew by, and Max noticed the soft snowflakes in the wind. Her face lit up with excitement, causing Harvey to mirror her smile. Their eyes connected as Harvey leaned in to give a deep kiss to Max. She held his face as his arm wrapped around her waist.

She pulled away, smiling, "What's with you lately? You're being very affectionate."

He shrugged as he looked at the setting sun, with the wind blowing snowflakes softly through the rays, "Just in the moment, I guess."

She squinted her eyes, "Harvey..."

"I'm serious, Max," he kissed her cheek, "just in the moment."

She shook her head, "You are affectionate, but never this much in public. Something's on your mind, babe."

He ran a finger over her forehead, pushing the hair behind her ear, "I care about you, Max, you should know that."

Max smiled, "Of course."

She gave him a chaste kiss on the lips before pulling out of his arms, "You are getting a little over protective though."

He walked to the other side of the car, "Making sure that you don't hurt yourself isn't being over protective, it's being prepared."

She rolled her eyes at him as she looked at him over the roof of the car.

"Come on Harvey, it's not like I'm pregnant."

She slid into the passenger seat, shutting the door.

And just like that, Harvey's dream shattered into saddened pieces.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Poor Harvey!<em>**

**_ON THE NEXT TAOP: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially at Max's house. But what happens when someone they all hate decides to crash the festivities? (And it's not Louis) Also, a character loses someone they love, and they end up turning up in the last place they would look_**

**_Review!_**

**_xoxo N._**


	27. Fauntleroy

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**And...**_

_**MERRY CHRISTMAS! **__**I hope that you are all well, snuggled into a blanket and a nice cup of coffee/tea/hot chocolate/e.t.c. **__**And I know, an update so fast? Well, I missed you guys! Plus, I worked on a Christmas chapter so I definitely had to post it before Christmas ended.**_

_**Well, best not keep you waiting.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Nothing belongs to me.**_

* * *

><p>"Harvey?"<p>

"Mmm?"

"Would you please pass me the bauble?"

"The _what_?"

"The ornament."

"Which one?"

"The red one with the white border."

"Where is it?"

"The one beside the coffee table."

"Which coffee table?"

"The espresso one."

"The _what_?"

"The brown one."

"...There's two brown ones."

"No, that's not a coffee table. That's a side table."

"Honest to God Max, I can't tell the difference."

"Holy Hell Harvey, it's _that_ ornament."

"This one?"

"Does that look like red to you?"

"In all honesty, yes."

"That's russet, Harvey. Over there is the red one."

"All of them are red."

"Are you colour blind?"

"Partially. Where is it?"

"Two steps to your right, one step ahead."

"...Where?"

"For the love of God!" Max huffed in anger as she climbed off the ladder, walking past her idiot as she leaned down to the coffee table, picking up the red ornament. As she was picking up the ornament, she stood straight, realizing Harvey had been smiling. Confused, she looked around her, noticing Harvey's arm above her head. Her eyes hit his hand where the mistletoe hung from his fingers. With a giggle, she looked at Harvey, clad in his deep auburn sweater and dark wash jeans. She shook her head as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply and lovingly. Beside them the nine-foot tree was decorated with silver and red ornaments, hanging beautifully off of the pine Christmas tree. She pulled back, giving him the raised eyebrows and the long smirk.

"Well played, Mister Specter."

"I am the best at everything I do," he said, wrapping both of his arms around her waist.

"Wait," she said, going to the tree, "Can we please open our presents before Rachel and Mike come? They're on their way already."

Harvey rolled his eyes as he walked over to the tree, picking up one of the two presents under the tree. Max grabbed hers, switching it comically with Harvey. He laughed, grabbing the box from her. He watched as Max unwrapped the box. Her eyes lit up from the second she saw the little blue box. As she pulled the Tiffany's lid off, she clasped onto the diamond tennis bracelet.

"Harvey, this is-"

"Too much?" He said before leaning in to kiss her.

"Too bad," he said with a wink.

She laughed as she watched him unwrap his present. His own eyes lit up with excitement.

Although the women like little blue boxes, men like the little green ones.

Harvey opened the box, revealing the silver Rolex embedded in the gift box.

"Max, this is-"

"Too much?" She said, leaning up to kiss him.

"Too bad." She said laughing.

He kissed her again, slipping his free hand behind her neck.

"Thank you, babe," he said against her lips.

"Thank _you_," she whispered.

"Well, like I said," he slightly pulled away from her, "I am the best at everything."

"Everything?" She challenged.

"Mmhmm," he said, kissing her lips again.

"So..." she started, "you wouldn't mind if you helped finish the decorations?"

Harvey looked at her with an unamused glance.

"Be careful of what you say, Harvey. It might come back and bite you in the ass."

He wriggled his eyebrows, "The only thing that will be biting my ass is-"

"Merry Christmas!" The sound of the caramel-skinned beauty's voice rang through the home as Rachel walked through Max's front door. Clad in a red jacket with white fur trim, the woman crossed the room, giving Max a huge hug. Mike was quickly behind her, holding several bags of presents. Harvey shook his head as walked over from where he was standing, helping Mike with several of the gifts. As the girls squealed about nonsense, Harvey and Mike made their way to the kitchen.

"Beer?"

"Please," Mike responded, grabbing the bottle that Harvey offered.

"Not spending Christmas at your bat cave? Or you could have chosen Rachel's house."

The blond rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry that not all of us can spend Christmas at our girlfriend's million dollar condo."

"It is nice," the brunette nodded.

"Better than yours," Mike retaliated.

"I would have thought you would have spent Christmas with your Grandma?" Harvey asked, leaning against the counter.

"We went to go visit her, Rach and I, before we came here. She usually wants to spend it with her friends afterwards," Mike said as he supported his weight on his arms as his hands held him up on the counter.

"You're telling me you spend Christmas every year, alone?" The brunette asked in disbelief.

Mike shrugged, "Not this year."

Harvey slightly smiled, leaning his bottle towards Mike. The blond smiled as he lifted his beer up, clinking it with Harvey's.

"Not this year, Ross."

* * *

><p>"Capital of Lithuania."<p>

"Vilnius," Mike and Max said simultaneously.

"I've got one," Rachel said, leaning in, "Longest beard in the world belongs to..."

"Sarwan Singh," they both said in unison.

"Most jumps on a pogo stick," Harvey whipped out.

"Gary Stewart," the man and the woman said at the same time.

"How many jumps-"

"One hundred seventy seven thousand, seven hundred thirty seven jumps."

Harvey looked at Rachel, who laughed.

"This is impossible," Rachel said, looking between the two.

"We've played this game so many times," Mike said leaning back in his seat, "we've never beaten each other."

Harvey looked at the two, smiling.

"What is Donald Duck's middle name?"

Max rolled her eyes, "Harvey, everyone knows that."

She looked at Mike, whose face was blank. Her eyes widened.

"You don't know that?"

Mike panicked, "Yes, I do. I just can't remember at the moment."

The woman smiled, and turned to Harvey.

"Fauntleroy."

Rachel laughed as Mike spewed out insignificant words. Max continued laughing at him as she got out of her seat, heading towards the balcony. She opened the door, feeling the slightly brisk winter air. With Mike ranting, Harvey went out to the balcony, following his girlfriend. She turned to face him as he opened the door, walking out into the night air.

"That was cheating, Harvey. You know Mike watched Nickelodeon as a child, not Disney."

"Well I apologize for wanting my girlfriend to be successful in everything she faces," he said, placing a kiss on her temple as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

She sighed, "It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Specifically?"

"Us," Max said, leaning into his embrace, "How we are completely different people, and yet we are so similar. I would have never thought that you, of all people, would be the person I want to wake up beside in the morning."

"If Mike wasn't speaking to you in the conference room, I possibly wouldn't have given you a second thought."

She turned to him.

"Thanks," she said in a monotone voice.

"I'm kidding, babe. All I'm saying is that I got lucky."

Max smiled, "Funny. I was gonna say the same thing."

She looked out into the city, seeing all the beautiful lights down below.

"Has it been seven months already?"

"_Seven months_?" Harvey asked incredulously, "Wow. I would have at least thought two years."

She smacked him, causing him to laugh.

It was quiet between the two of them for a while; Max, her mind swirling over whether or not she should tell Harvey what she'd been planning on telling him for a while, and Harvey, who had his mind in a warped loop as he'd been wondering whether or not to tell Max what he was really thinking.

Harvey had the guts to go first.

"Max, there's something I have to ask you."

She pulled away from him slowly, turning so that she was face-to-face with him.

"Yes?"

He exhaled, "Do you want kids?"

Her head jerked back, "Pardon?"

"Do you want children?" Harvey repeated.

She smiled, "Yeah."

"One or two?"

"Two, maybe three."

"Three?"

"I like big families," she said, looking up at him.

Harvey nodded, "Okay..."

"Harvey?" Max asked, knowing he had more to say.

He stroked her face. Should he tell her what he was really feeling? It seemed so long ago that he started dreaming about children with Max. He had gotten so close before, but it was just a false hope. He didn't want another mishap. He wanted to be sure that Max was in this with her all.

"Do you want children with me?"

Max's faced softened as she quieted down. Harvey looked at her as if she was changing her mind about kids, about him, about their relationship in general, until she grabbed his face lightly, looking deep into his eyes.

"Whatever happens in the future, know that I will never regret a moment of it."

She smiled at his sad features, "But I hope that I'm lucky enough to have children with you, Harvey."

Max sighed in happiness as Harvey mirrored his smile.

"You don't know how much I've thought about it," she said.

He chuckled, "I can imagine it was the same amount as mine."

She inhaled, "You? But...babe-"

"I want kids, Max," he cut her off, resting on the balcony bar, "God, I want a bunch of them just running around the house, driving us both crazy. I want someone to call me 'Dad'. I want a little me, running around with just as much charisma as I have," he said, looking out into the night sky, "but mostly, I want a child who is half of my greatness, but half of your greatness. Because you, Max, are the greatest person to ever come into my life. You changed me in the best way possible, and I can't thank you enough for that."

He turned to face her, seeing that she had tears in her eyes.

"I love you, Harvey."

His heart stopped.

_No... she- did? No, no, she didn't. But- yes? Possibly? What- how?_

Harvey couldn't process it. She said it. She said the three words. She really did love him, with all of his faults, and all of his mistakes. She really did love him, even if he was sometimes a cocky son of a bitch. She really did love him, even when he looked like a mess in the morning because he was too lazy to get ready sooner.

She really did love him.

And he really did love her.

But he couldn't say it.

Max, on the other hand, was standing there, was waiting for Harvey to answer her back. Of course, it was merely five seconds, but all he did was stand there, and not respond. Was he nervous? Did he hear her properly? Was he going into shock?

Did he really love her?

_Crap, crap, crap..._ she thought nervously.

Max noticed at that moment, that Harvey was trying to say 'I love you' back. She watched as he faced the inner dilemma, praying that he had enough courage as she did to say it back. He looked into her eyes, knowing she'd understand.

She did.

Max walked forward, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"It's okay, babe. When you're ready." She told him.

She leaned in towards him, "But I do love you."

He smiled.

As soon as they were about to kiss, the balcony door opened.

"Oh," Rachel said indifferently, "sorry."

She pointed into the house, "Just letting you know that Cameron Dennis is at the front door."

They looked at each other in confusion as they both walked off the balcony, seeing Cameron Dennis almost instantly. Instinctively, Harvey shielded Max from his former mentor. Harvey knew from past encounters that when it came to men who hated him, Max always got caught in the crossfires.

The older man strolled around the home, inspecting all of the pictures on the walls, as well as the tables.

"Harvey," the sly lawyer said.

"Cameron," Harvey's tone was ice-cold.

The old man shrugged, "Oh, now come on. Be jolly. It's Christmas! Aren't you going to ask me to stay?"

"Fuck no," a voice from behind Harvey said with authority. Harvey couldn't help but smile.

Cameron smiled, "Must be your girl, Harvey. No one else has got balls like you."

"You're ruining my Christmas because..."

"I want to give you an offer," he said, slipping a piece of paper out of his over-coat, and handing it to Harvey, who cautiously took it. Max decided to move around Harvey, standing beside him as he opened the envelope. Harvey looked over the contents of the letter, his eyes widening in disgust.

"You want me to join a firm?"

"Not just a firm," the silver-haired man said, "my firm."

He continued, "I need the best of the best to work for me. That way, we'd help a lot of people-"

"Empty out their wallets?" Max said as she took the letter, "You expect Harvey to drop everything and work for you; the one person who almost fucked him over."

"The offer is not just for him," the man said.

Her jaw dropped.

"Me?" She said, noticing his head slightly nod.

"Sorry, I would rather wipe my ass with this offer," she said, throwing the letter on the coffee table.

"Actually, I take that back. I wouldn't put my ass anywhere something reeking of you, Cameron."

"Oh come now, there's no reason to be vulgar."

She snorted, "Get the hell out of my house, Cameron."

The old man looked to the younger man.

"Aren't you going to help?"

Harvey nodded.

"Cameron; get the fuck out of her house."

He sighed as he walked to the door, opening it, "You know, you two are just a bunch of wasted talent."

"And you are a bunch of wasted air. Good. Bye," she said, slamming the door in his face. She turned around, letting out an angry sigh.

"The audacity of that man..." she said, crossing her arms.

"Hey, don't let him get to you, babe," he said, rubbing her arms lovingly.

She smiled as she looked at him. She could see it clearly in his eyes; he loved her. She could feel the love pouring out of his being as he stood close to her, radiating it completely.

It would have been nice to hear it, though.

A knock interrupted the two, causing Max to roll her eyes.

"What the hell does he want now?" She asked, throwing the door open.

"Yes Cam-" Max stopped herself, noticing it was not Cameron Dennis standing in front of her door. Rather a very frazzled young woman with red-rimmed eyes.

"Karly?" Max said, walking closer to her.

The blond woman sniffled.

"My dad's gone missing."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hmmm, what would be going on here?<strong>_

_**ON THE NEXT TAOP: Someone we all love is going to get hurt. How, you may ask? Well, it's either mentally or physically...well, it's up to you to guess which.**_

_**Review?**_

_**xoxo N.**_


	28. Stay

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_I know, you haven't heard from me since Christmas, but I've been trying to figure out how I should end the story!_**

**_***So, here's your official warning: We are coming to the very last chapters of The Art of Philophobia! _**

**_So sad! Depression ensures! _****_But I promise you that it will be an ending that will leave you with a satisfied feeling. _****_So don't fret! What you see isn't as it was meant to be! Just enjoy the ride while it last. Just letting you know that this chapter is short, but IMPORTANT. Or just a plot twist, whatever you would like to call it... Shmeh._**

**_As always, enjoy!_**

**_P.S. Suits don't belong to me!_**

* * *

><p>"Karly, would you... No, sweetheart, listen to me, I know it's been two weeks, but... Okay, I know, but... Karly, stop, breathe... No, that would be a bad idea... No, that would also be a bad idea..."<p>

Max paced back and forth in her office, a hand running over her face in a tired haste. The sun was about to set, and the office was clearing. Her eyes couldn't stand to stay open anymore as she walked around her desk, leaning her head back against the comfortable desk chair. Karly sounded worried. The blonde woman had every right to be worried; Oliver Klades had suddenly disappeared on Christmas day, and his daughter couldn't think of anyone to turn to than Maxine Harris and Harvey Specter. They were the dream team; the couple that could do anything, which included hunting down her father. They weren't detectives... they were better. They were _lawyers_, people who study other people for a living. Although, it would have been easy to find Oliver if he would leave a paper trail.

"I'll let you know what I find... Okay, goodbye Karly."

She placed her phone on the desk, resting her tired eyes onto her propped up hands. It was as if the life had been sucked out of her indefinitely. Her life had become hectic: her work load had begun to pile up, Karly had leaned on her to find her father, and Harvey wouldn't tell Max that he loved her. Max thought that he would say it, but unfortunately, it was something Max wouldn't be expecting anytime soon. After all, Harvey was emotionally behind in everything. Ahead of the working curve, but the love curve? Max knew better than that. Seven months and the man still wouldn't say that he loved her. Max could wait, but there is a limit to every woman, and Max's patience was wearing thin. Very thin.

A knock interrupted her train of thought. Her eyes opened to see the redheaded secretary hold up a file.

"Georgian case," Ezra said with a smile, "Mike dropped it off for you."

The woman smiled. She could always rely on her best friend to surprise her.

"Tell him thanks if you see him," she said as he placed it in a filing cabinet.

The redhead turned, heading for the door, when he noticed Maxine.

"He'll say it."

Max's eyebrow rose.

"He'll say it when he feels it," Ezra continued as he stood by the door, "It's a guy thing. It doesn't mean that he doesn't love you. We just need to feel it at the right time. Give him time."

Max shook her head, "Hopefully, it'll be soon."

The redhead smiled, "It will be. I can tell. Don't forget that Harvey likes to plan things, even though he is impulsive. But he never regrets a decision when he makes it, you should know that."

The brunette smiled, "Well, aren't you intuitive?"

He shrugged, "I get that from Donna."

He opened the door, shouting from behind him, "Give him time. He'll do something to prove he loves you before he says it."

Max sarcastically nodded, "Yeah, uh huh. You keep thinking that, Ezra."

Her phone vibrated almost instantly, causing to grab her phone.

"Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear," she mumbled, placing the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"I've decided that I'm getting rid of the death trap."

Max's eyes widened, "Touch the Vespa Harvey, and you won't see your Tesla for the rest of your life."

"The damn scooter is worse than the Tesla. Just get a car, Max."

"I said to leave the scooter alone."

"And I said that I'm getting rid of it. End of discussion."

She slammed her papers on her desk, still clutching the phone to her ear, "Harvey Specter, for the love of God-"

He cut her off, "For the love of God what?"

She hung up with force, placing her phone on her desk. She stood up, striding out of her office as fast as she possibly could in a tight pencil skirt, walking through the office and past all the cubicles. As she was arriving to his office, she gave Donna an exasperated look. Donna returned it with a raised eyebrow and a smirk as she continued typing on her computer. She pushed the door open, letting it swing open. The man in the chair looked up with a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Do you honestly have fun pissing me off?"

Harvey's smile grew wider, "Possibly."

"Do. Not. Touch. The Vespa."

"And if I do?"

"I'll make sure your bed is nice and cold."

He rolled his eyes, "So making sure you don't die is a bad thing?"

"I don't care about the scooter," she said walking towards him, "But getting rid of something that I worked extremely hard for is a bad thing," Max said as she stood in front of his desk, her hands on her hips.

Harvey looked up at her, "You don't think I know that?"

Her eyes narrowed at his direction.

"How much did you sell it for?"

"Twice the amount," he said smirking, "You didn't think I'd let someone get away with your spoils now did you?"

"You're a rat bastard, you know?" Max said, walking over to his record collection, looking at the different artwork on each album.

"Right back at you," he said, signing the last document before sliding it back in the folder. His eyes left the desk and roamed up to Max. She was wearing a dark pencil skirt and a silky electric blue blouse. Her curly hair was let down, with her left bangs pinned to the side. Her eyes were focused, examining every picture on each album. He leaned back in his chair and just looked at her. How could she be so beautiful without even trying? How could she be that unintentionally gorgeous? It was impossible. Yet there she stood, her lower lip slightly between her teeth, studying the collection until her eyebrows rose, grabbing a record off the shelf. It made Harvey smile; of course, only his girl would pick 60's jazz. No pop, no rock, and certainly not anything from this generation. She placed the black disc onto the player, and hummed along with the song. The Girl From Ipanema, Harvey registered quickly. Her back was to him, but he could hear her singing along to the Portuguese lyrics. She picked up a baseball, clutching it in her hand. He's dated girls before, and he seemed to get tired of them at some point. But Max... Everyday he saw her, it caused him to long for her even more. She was so perfect... So why couldn't he say it? Why couldn't he tell her that he loved her? She knew that he loved her, so he should just say it. But when he thought he should tell her, he thought of something better. It hit him almost instantly, and he wondered why he didn't ask her earlier.

"Marry me."

He heard the ball bounce off the table.

"What?" She said turning around. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly open.

He got up out of his chair, moving around his desk.

"I said, marry me."

Max looked at the man in front of her. Had Harvey gone mad? This was the best closer in Manhattan; the one who was afraid of falling in love. Yet he stood in front of her, asking for her to marry him.

_Marry _him.

It freaked her out.

"Harvey," she said walking away from him, towards the middle of the office, "you... I... but- we-"

"Just say yes," he said.

"But... we've only been dating for seven months."

"Almost eight," Harvey reasoned, walking closer, "my parents married after two months."

"We barely know each other," she said, crossing her arms.

"You were born a ginger, Max," Harvey said, standing right in front of her, "Even Mike doesn't know that."

"So? I could tell him right now."

"But you won't," he told her indefinitely.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because you love me."

She bit her lip.

"What about me?"

Harvey's breath halted.

"You haven't told me you loved me," she whispered.

His hands were stuffed in his pockets as he looked solemnly at her.

"I do," his whispered, looking at her with soft eyes.

"So tell me," she pleaded as she grabbed the lapels of his jacket, "Tell me you love me."

He looked into her hazels, trying to find the will to say it. His mouth opened, hoping that the words would find their way out. But no noise came out. Max exhaled in sadness and anger, her eyes watering, a sad smile on her face. She sniffled as her hands let go of the slightly wrinkled jacket. She turned away from him, ready to leave the office when she felt her wrist being held. She stopped, her eyes closing before turning to face him. She opened her eyes to a pleading Harvey.

"Max," he whispered.

She shook her head, "Harvey, I love you. I love you so much. I love you to the point where I just want to take you away with me and move to a cottage in France and sit on our porch and drink expensive wine while our kids wear Faroese jumpers as they run in the yard with the dog. I want _you_ and I love _you_."

Max took his hand in both her own, "But I'm sick of waiting Harvey. It's three little words. They're so small, and I know they mean a lot, but I know that you love me. I know it. So please, it's not that hard. Just... tell me, Harvey."

She smiled sadly at him.

"I love you, Harvey, but I'm tired of waiting."

She pulled away, but Harvey grasped onto her again.

"No," he said harshly, "You can't leave."

"Then say it," she pleaded, "Please."

He looked at her, his eyes filling with his own tears as Max let hers fall. His chest felt heavy as he tried sucking in air. God, it wasn't that hard! It was three words for Christ's sake! He'd said them to her before! _Be a man, Harvey_, he told himself, _just do it! She's awake now. Just tell her! She's everything you've ever wanted. She knows you love her! So just say it! It's not that hard! Just do it!_

But as he stood there, he knew he couldn't say it.

"I can't," he whispered.

She nodded, as she bit her lip, causing more tears to fall.

"Max, don't go," he begged. Harvey Specter had never begged for anything in his life, but he would have pleaded with Max for anything.

"Please, don't go."

She leaned in, kissing him. She inhaled his scent, the lovely, musky, manly scent she loved so greatly. His lips felt the same, perfect, as they molded onto hers. She could feel Harvey pouring everything into the kiss, grasping her face, physically holding her in her place. He didn't want her to leave. She was too perfect. He was too perfect. She was everything he wanted. He was everything she wanted. Max loved him with everything she had in her body, and Harvey loved her equally.

But he knew Max wanted him to say it. Max always wanted a definite answer, and Harvey wasn't ready to give it to her.

Not yet.

She pulled away, and Harvey could feel that she didn't want to leave.

"Stay," he whispered sadly, "Max, stay with me. Please."

She lightly punched him, letting more tears flow.

"You know what to do to make me stay, Harvey."

He looked deep into her eyes, knowing that it was killing her as much as it was killing him. Harvey finally let his eyes look out into the office, noticing that it was surprisingly empty. He nodded, not only clearing his nose, but his mind as well, as he grasped Max by the hand. With their unspoken language, he pulled her to her office, where she let go of his hand for a moment as she gathered her things. She pulled her scarf on as Harvey held her jacket open for her. She laughed softly, shoving her arms through the holes. She turned to face Harvey as she buttoned up her jacket, only to have him remove her hands so he could button it up. She looked into his eyes, with him staring directly at her, his eyes never leaving hers as he buttoned up her jacket. When he finished, he took her hand, slowly walking to the elevators. They didn't speak a word. He just held onto her hand as she grasped tightly onto his. Suddenly, the elevators were too close. Harvey unwillingly pressed the elevator button. The elevator took longer than it should, possibly to do with the fact that fate did not want to separate. That they were meant to be together.

She stared at him lovingly as he mirrored her exactly. How was it that two powerful people could be so vulnerable together? Or was it that they were strong enough to not be together, yet still be together?

The elevator dinged. It sounded like an execution bell in the gloomy state it rang in. The metal doors slid open, and Max got in, not letting go of Harvey's hand. As Max stood in the elevator, Harvey stood outside of the elevator, both of them still holding hands. He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers once more. Harvey knew it wasn't a goodbye kiss. It was a goodbye for now one.

"I'll be here," she whispered against his lips.

He looked at her with knowing eyes.

"When you... are ready," she said, desperately holding her tears.

He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear with his free hand, "I wish I could be, Max."

She chuckled, "You're Harvey Specter: the best closer in all of Manhattan. You'll close this deal. I know it."

He smirked at her.

"You can count on that, babe."

She smiled, the threat of new tears rising as she pressed the button to the main floor.

Babe. He had to call her babe.

His hand still clasped in hers, he pulled away, allowing the elevator doors to close. Just as the doors were about to reach their hands, Harvey, against his will, let go of her delicate hands, the elevator doors parting the connection he had with his love. The elevator indicated the lift was going down, and Harvey placed a closed fist on the cold steel.

He vowed from that second to make things right. Max deserved that.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hate me later. Review for now.<strong>_

_**xoxo N.**_


	29. Sleep

**_Hey Everyone!_**

**_Here's your extra fast update! And I do apologize for it being short, but it's still sweet. Any who, a lot of people have asked me how many chapters are left in TAOP. To be honest, I'm not sure how many there will be. But I know I want to at least get past 35 chapters, but with the length that I'm posting chapters, the story may round up to 40-45. But to me, it doesn't matter about the length of the chapters, just as long as the story is told in its entirety._**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_P.S. Disclaimer: I don't own Suits!_**

* * *

><p>"Hi," Max said softly into the phone after the fourth ring.<p>

She had gotten out of bed, a soft light emanating from her lamp that sat on the night table. Her duvet was askew along her bed as she stood by the window, looking out in the Manhattan night. Her house was filled with the light of the full moon, giving her home a sad tint to it, which Max summed it up to the environment mimicking her emotions. Her bare legs felt cold at that moment, as did her backside. It was then when she realized that she felt cold because Harvey wasn't there to keep her warm. Nor was he there to have him taint everything she owned with his scent; his manly, musky scent.

Speaking of Harvey, he also stood, at the door of his balcony, pacing against the wall in agitation. The man had been unnerved lately, which he soon realized that he hadn't seen Max, the beautiful woman who had plagued his mind. He hadn't touch Max, the soft skin and silky hair she had, or smelled her, the comforting scent of vanilla. It was her that kept him going through the day, knowing that if he'd call her, she'd answer him.

"Hi," Harvey said, stuffing his hands in his suit pants. He had no energy to change at that moment. All her focused on was Max.

"Long day?" She asked him, noticing the strain in his voice.

"If I use it as an excuse, then yes," he said tiredly, knowing completely why he was so exhausted.

"Any news on Klades?" Harvey said, leaning against the window.

She sighed, resting her head on the window, "No. Either Oliver's underground, or dead. Either way, there is no paper trail."

"Hopefully he's found soon, I don't want this stress on you."

Max bit her lip, trying to hide her smile, "Likewise."

Her eyes trailed the tops of the buildings, "Harvey, if you find him before me, please be careful."

"I always am," he said as he loosened his tie.

"I mean it Harvey," she said sternly, getting up from the window, "Karly said that her father wasn't mentally stable the last time she saw him. Said that he snapped."

He rolled his eyes, "Babe, I'll be fine."

She contained her fluttering heart. God damn Harvey and that word.

"Max, I will be fine. Trust me," he said solemnly, noticing she was quiet on the other side of the line.

"I know you will," she smiled to herself, hoping Harvey would notice.

There was silence on the line, as Harvey unbuttoned the sleeves on his shirt as Max sat in bed. She took comfort that Harvey was listening to everything she was doing; the movement of the blankets, her sighs of content, her breaths softly filling the receiver. She also heard Harvey's breath, his slight grunts as he removed every garment slowly. It was the intimacy they needed. Their love was so powerful, so needy. Max knew she could stand by herself, but she didn't _want_ to. She wanted Harvey beside her. Harvey wanted her beside him.

He was just being a pussy.

"I miss you," she said, sitting on her bed, a pillow being her only comfort.

Harvey stopped, his hands still on the hem of his night shirt as he slowly pulled the cloth over his torso. After everything, putting through the worst thing he could possibly do to his woman, she still missed him.

He smiled sadly.

"I miss you too."

She inhaled deeply, hoping to find some clarity, "Did you tell Donna yet?"

Harvey felt sheepish, "I was hoping you would do that."

"Oh God no," Max laughed, "I want to keep all of my fingers, Harvey."

"I would like to keep all of my appendages too, one in particular," the brunette man said, smiling as his eyes crinkled in happiness.

"It is a work of art," she playfully threw into the conversation.

"Why thank you, I'll take that as a greatly appreciated compliment."

Her giggle filled Harvey's ear, causing his chest to lighten. He felt at ease, knowing that she still was capable of being happy. He hadn't hurt her as much as he thought. It still didn't change the fact that he hurt her. Harvey sat on the couch, reaching over the leather, expecting his hand to be enclosed in hers. God, he missed her.

_Just do it, God damn it._

She sobered, sighing happily.

"You okay, babe?" He asked her softly.

Her head leaned against the headboard.

"I will be," Harvey could barely hear it, but it turned the corner of his mouth slightly up. He imagined her cuddled on the couch, or her bed, staring out at the night sky. It was a beautiful night out, and he knew for a fact that the weather and the city lights would put Max in a good mood.

"You get some rest, alright? You need sleep."

She laughed, "So do you, Harvey."

_But I'm not going to anytime soon,_ he thought bitterly.

"I'll try," was the best response he could come up with.

Her free arm clutched over her stomach, trying to banish the hollow feeling growing inside.

"Night, Harvey," she said sadly, keeping her eyes shut as she held back the tears.

She could hear Harvey struggling to find the right words, trying to find a way to break out of the block he had been hidden on. She heard the slight grunt in the back of his throat, and the frustrated sigh he let out. She could imagine him now; his hand roughly grasping on the roots of his hair, trying to relieve any stress he had. He knew he would only amplify it more, knowing he had full control to let his feelings shine through.

"Goodnight babe," he whispered.

She ended the call, placing the phone on her chest as she stared out the window from her bed. She hated this. She hated being cold at night. She hated sleeping alone, without Harvey's arms keeping her safe. She punched her pillow before burrowing her head in the it, hiding her face. She didn't know how long she could last without Harvey. But she needed to hear it. It was her safety net. She wasn't going to give in until Harvey said it. She _knew_ he loved her, so why couldn't he say it?

She closed her eyes, hoping to sleep.

Harvey flopped on the couch, praying that something at least decent was on his satellite television. He knew that if his eyes shut, he'd wake up searching for Max. Looking at the bed, Harvey couldn't help but hate the feeling of loneliness, without having Max in his arms. That bed wasn't meant for him anymore. It was meant for him and_ her_. He rested his pyjama clad legs on the ottoman, trying to get comfortable.

He closed his eyes, hoping to sleep.

* * *

><p>Oliver Klades was not supposed to be here.<p>

He wasn't at all. This wasn't where he was supposed to be.

And yet, he sat there. And he waited.

This was a bad idea.

But it was his fault. He didn't help.

So he'd wait.

He'd make him suffer.

Just like he did.

Just like Karly did.

So he sat there.

And waited.

* * *

><p><strong><em>What seems to be brewing?<em>**

**_Review!_**

**_xoxo N._**


	30. France

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**Here's another **_**_update_**_** for all you die-hard fans. I'm stretching this story as much as I can so you all can read it much faster.**_

_**So Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Suits is not mine.**_

* * *

><p>"What?" The simultaneous sound of Donna and Rachel said as the two of them sat on Max's couch.<p>

"You. Harvey," Rachel gasped.

"Broke. Up?" Donna screeched.

Max shook her head, "No, we didn't."

"But you're not together," the caramel-skinned woman clarified.

"Not exactly," Max said, placing her coffee cup down.

"Then clarify before my hair turns gray," the redhead said sitting up straight.

The brunette sighed, running a hand through her hair, "I love him, and he loves me. And I told him that I love him but-"

"He didn't say it," Rachel concluded.

Max nodded, "I know he does. But if he can't tell me he loves me, then I can't be with him physically."

"Physically?" The other two women said at the same time.

"We don't touch. Or try to touch each other. Hell, I haven't seen Harvey in three days," Max said as she was looking out the window, "but he calls me. Every morning when I wake up. Every night before I go to bed. Like clockwork. We talk, we joke, we laugh, and it's good. We're us. But as we say goodbye, he's quiet. Like, he's trying to tell me that he loves me. I can hear him sigh in frustration, unwilling to give up. He's trying, and that's what's keeping this alive. He loves me enough to become someone he's not."

"So it's a long distance relationship, without the distance," the dark-skinned woman said as she leaned back in the couch.

Max smiled, "That's exactly what it is."

"No," Donna said placing her cup down, "What it is, is bullshit."

Before the brunette could respond, the redhead continued, "You love him, and he loves you, so why complicate things? Why do this to yourself? Obviously you're hurting, and he's hurting too. So why are you doing this to yourself? And to Harvey?"

Donna got up to pace, "Max, he loves you. God, does this man love you. He's never said he loves someone, nor should he? Isn't there a whole spiel on 'actions speak louder than words'? Harvey's done nothing but show you that he loves you! I thought you were smart, woman!"

"I know he loves me," Max reasoned, "But... I've had people who loved me, and never told me. Those people left, Donna. The ones who couldn't say it left me. My father loved me for my entire life, yet he never told me he loved me, he just left. He didn't want to deal with that," the woman wiped away her tears, "I love Harvey too much. I don't want him to leave. I know, it's such a childish reason, but I want him to fight for me."

Donna sat beside her, taking her hand, "He will. That damn man loves you too much. And when Harvey Specter loves something, he won't let it go. Not even easily. He will never let_you _go. One of these days, he will say it. Just be patient."

Max nodded, "I believe you."

Rachel stood, "For now, can we please go to work? If we don't leave now, we'll get stuck in traffic."

The two other woman gathered their things as Rachel practically ran down the hall to get to Ray who was waiting for them. Although "not together" anymore, Harvey still sent Ray to Max everyday to pick her up from work. If Harvey couldn't be there to keep Max safe himself, he'd send someone he'd trust with his entire life, also known as Ray. After all, he sold her Vespa.

As Max was putting her jacket on, she noticed that Donna's stomach peaking out from under her heavy sweater, and the memory came flooding back.

"Donna," Max whispered, pointing to her stomach, "Did you ever find out..."

Max never got her answer, as Donna walked off.

* * *

><p>Harvey threw the remote on the couch, rubbing his tired eyes. He couldn't sleep again, for third night in a row. Watching late night television was not helping, and Harvey needed coffee. In reality, he needed sleep, but if he knew that if he slept in his bed, it would hurt even more, knowing that Max wasn't going to be beside him when he woke up. He pushed himself off the couch, getting ready to go to work. He moved in a robotic manor, showering quickly, shaving precisely, dressing impeccably... he seemed out of body. As if there was no life to him, Harvey got ready for work. How was it that Harvey Specter, the man who exuded confidence, could barely pull himself off of a couch and place a facade smile on his face? He was surprised that he at least held his hygiene together. If he wasn't calling Max every day, he would have resorted to wearing a dirty, grease-covered v-neck and wearing <em>cotton <em>boxer shorts while eating cheese balls out of the tub, watching re-runs of Star Trek.

He snapped out of his thoughts as his cell phone began to ring in the living room. He walked out of his closet, suit jacket slung over one arm as he applied his cuff link. It would have been easier to put on if he had Max to do it, but alas, it was his fault she was not putting his cuff links on at that moment. He picked up his phone, rolling his eyes at the caller.

"Mike," Harvey said, sitting on his couch, placing his jacket over the back of the leather.

"_Harvey_," the blonde responded.

It was silent for a moment.

"You called for a reason?"

He could practically hear Mike shrugging his shoulder, "_Just making sure you're okay_."

"Just peachy," he told his associate, "Now stop calling me and get back to work."

"_Wait, wait, wait_," he heard him say, "_Listen to me for a second, Harvey._"

He placed the phone back to his ear, "Well?"

The brunette heard shuffling on the other side of the line, "_Let me tell you a story_."

_Oh dear God,_ Harvey thought, _I'm not in the mood for this shit_.

"_One night, a while ago, I had Rachel sitting on my couch, watching a movie. She was smiling and giggling_," Harvey rolled his eyes at that part, "_I just looked at her; stared at her. She sat right beside me, and I felt like I shouldn't touch her, because she was too heavenly. I thought to myself; why did she choose me? Why did she choose to love me?_"

Harvey felt the same way about Max.

"_But I noticed something: she didn't chose me. I chose her_," he could hear Mike's smile, "_Well, you never choose the one you love, you choose to accept it. Once I figured that out, I pictured it._"

Harvey's eyebrows furrowed, "Pictured what?"

"_Our life. I pictured us sitting on a bench at Central Park, Rachel still looking beautiful, even though she was a little older. In front of us was a little girl, half of Rachel, and half of myself. I don't want kids, but just picturing it... Harvey, it was perfect_."

Mike sighed, "_That's when I told her. I felt it in my stomach. At that second, I told her I loved her. Granted, she told me two days earlier, but I did it. I told her._"

Harvey shook his head, "How is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"_Because if it can work for me, it'll work for you_."

He chuckled; the kid was right.

"_Keep you head up, Harvey. You'll get there_."

When the hell did the puppy get so smart? How was it that the tables had turned on Harvey? Was it that bad that he ended up getting a pep talk from _Mike_? Well, if anything, the younger man of the two was returning the favour.

"Thanks Mike," he said, hanging up before Mike could say goodbye.

Harvey thought about what Mike had said. A feeling in your stomach? How the hell was Harvey supposed to know that? He felt all sorts of things when he thought of Max, so how the fuck was he going to differentiate from all the other feelings? His mind was swirling with thoughts as he leaned his head on the back of the couch, trying to clear his mind. His mind was foggy as Harvey was registering that he was falling asleep, but his body would not let him wake up. _It's probably for the best_, he thought, a_t least I'll be able to catch a few minutes of sleep_.

* * *

><p>"<em>Harvey... Harvey..."<em>

* * *

><p>"Harvey," the soft sound of Maxine snapped him out of his thoughts.<p>

He turned to face her, with a wide smile on his face.

"You did it again," she said, placing a tray of food in front of him as he sat on a porch, looking out onto a large yard.

"Did what?" He asked innocently.

"Thought about me," she said, sitting on his lap. He looked at her closely, noticing that Max had aged a touch. Early thirties at least. But damn, she aged like fine wine. Was it possible that she was even more gorgeous than she was the first moment he laid eyes on her? Her eyes remained the same; the rambunctious hazels filled with life and excitement. Her smile was still sweet, and she smelt the same as always; comforting. Her touch was familiar. Max felt like home. She always felt like home.

He winked, "You caught me."

She rolled her eyes as her thumb stroked his temple.

"Is that gray I see?" She said, grasping the strands of hair between her fingertips.

"A few," Harvey said, "I think it adds character."

"I think it adds sex appeal," she leaned in, kissing him. The same way she always kissed him.

A pair of giggles from behind them caused the two to turn around. The couple turned to see a set of twins. Harvey looked at the two little children quickly before his mind clicked. There were his children. A small boy and a girl, with smiles on their faces as if they had seen an awe-inspiring moment at Disney Land. Harvey couldn't tear his eyes away from them; they were perfect.

"Spying on us again?" Max said in a coy voice.

The two ran off quickly, running towards the open field where they played with each other. No sooner than a minute, a small, black Labrador ran from the house, and towards the little children, playing with them.

Harvey couldn't bear to look away.

He felt Max snuggle onto his collarbone as they both stared at their children.

"Faroese jumpers," he commented on, "they actually look nice."

Max smiled, "I always did have a great sense of style."

"You should. We do live in France," Harvey said looking down at her.

She looked up at him, and Harvey tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I love you," he told her.

She smiled.

* * *

><p>"<em>I love you too, Harvey..."<em>

* * *

><p>His eyes snapped open as Harvey looked at his empty condo.<p>

What was that? Was that real? No, it couldn't have been. It was just a dream. But the dream... it had felt so _real_. It had _been _so real. It had been perfect. It had been everything Harvey wanted. Wasn't it? Was it what Harvey wanted? A year ago, possibly, where the countless women every night would be good enough for him. But now, the thought of another woman besides Max made Harvey jump in fear, and he had never been afraid of anything.

He shot up off the couch, and began pacing. His adrenaline was rushing through him. Was he happy that he had that dream? Or was he sad that it was over? He couldn't decide what he was feeling. Anger? Joy? Sadness? Happiness? What the fuck was he feeling! Every second he thought about that dream, he wanted more of it. The dream... Max... France.. The kids... The dog... The gray hair... The Faroese jumpers...

Harvey stopped in the middle of the room.

_Love_.

That's what he was feeling.

Harvey's hand subconscious hovered over his stomach. He felt this surge of energy rush through his body and hit his core. He could feel this... need, this desire in the pit of his stomach, and he needed to let it out. Was this the feeling that Mike was talking about? That urging desire to just... let out what you feel? Scream it to the world? Pour your heart out on the floor? Was that was it was? That feeling? That euphoria that seeped through his veins, electrifying every nerve in his body? God, how could someone feel like this? How could someone be this blissful, just by a dream? By a woman? By _love_? Was this how love was supposed to feel? Was this how was he supposed to react?

No, Harvey knew how to react.

Harvey ran to his phone as he grabbed his jacket. He called Ray immediately as he rode the elevator. As soon as he hung up, he dialled another phone number.

"_Hello_?" The confused voice said.

"Max!" He practically shouted, "Where are you?"

"_I'm at the office..._" she was hesitant to respond, "_Is everything okay, Harvey_? _You sound odd._"

He smiled as he sighed, "Oh Max, everything... everything's just perfect."

"_What's going on_?" She said breathlessly.

"What's going on is I'm doing something I should have done a long ass time ago."

Max's breaths were heavy, "_Harvey, you don't mean-_"

"Don't leave the office," he told her as he ran out of the elevator, entering the lobby, "I'm coming to you, okay?"

He heard the smile in her voice, "_Okay. I'll wait for you, babe_."

Harvey hung up then, leaving his condo building as he waited for Ray patiently. A yellow cab pulled up to the curb as Mike popped out of the back, shutting the door behind him.

"What's taking you so long?" Mike said, paying the cab driver, "I called you an hour ago, why the hell are you still here? I thought I was the only one allowed to be late."

Harvey smiled as he stood in front of Mike, "I love her."

Mike's eyes widened, "What?"

"I love her," he said a little louder.

He turned around and shouted, "I love Maxine Harris!"

"Okay," Mike said, grasping Harvey's shoulder, "Not that I don't actually love this, but you're losing it, Harvey."

"Oh no, I'm not losing anything," Harvey said, noticing that Ray was pulling up to the curb, "I'm taking back what's mine."

He waited for Mike to go to the other side of the car.

"I'm going to tell my girl that I love her," he said getting into the back seat.

Mike smiled as he pulled the door open, "About damn time."

Harvey quickly told Ray what he was doing, and it seemed that the driver decided to push the car a little faster than he usually drove. Harvey could barely keep his foot planted on the bottom of the car as it shook in anticipation. He needed to tell her he loved her, and he needed to do it in person as soon as possible. He needed her to hear it, and he needed to see the look on her face when he did. He needed to hold her in his arms when he did it, because he needed to feel her. He _needed_ her. He wanted her. He just... God, he couldn't explain it.

Ray suddenly started to slow down just as they were arriving to the building. Both Mike and Ray looked at the gathering crowd, confused. Harvey began to notice this too as Ray stopped the car entirely, as it was beginning to become stuck in traffic. Harvey opened the door to his car, with Mike following suit, as they began walking towards Pearson Hardman. As soon as they saw the building, a SWAT van swerved onto the pavement as officers poured out of the truck and into the building. Harvey's heart dropped. He spotted Jessica standing in front of what looked to be the Lieutenant in charge. He approached her, and Jessica's face had a flicker of pity before she masked it. Harvey's curiosity and fear peaked.

"Harvey," Jessica said calmly, "This is Lieutenant Quentin Lowe, he works with the SWAT division."

He shook the big man's hand out of courtesy.

"What's going on?" He asked the two individuals, curious.

Jessica looked to Lieutenant Lowe, who nodded.

The man had a authoritative voice, "We have a hostage situation."

Harvey was afraid to ask.

"Who's the hostage?"

Jessica licked her lips as Lowe did not respond.

Harvey's throat closed as his chest heaved. His hands started to go numb as the sensation of touch was just a mere thing of the past. His heart was spiked with razor-sharp blades as he ached to grasp his hurting chest, but his arms wouldn't allow him to move. His legs could not give away as they stayed immobile, his knees locked in. Never moving. His eyes closed as he tried to process his brain, going a million miles a second. His brain had never worked so hard in his life. He's never worked so hard in his life to try to hold himself together. He needed her right now to hold him together, but she wasn't there. She couldn't be there.

_No. Not Max._

* * *

><p><em><strong>WHAT?<strong>_

_**ON THE NEXT TAOP: We all know that Max is strong and resilient, but is that sometimes a bad thing?**_

_**xoxo N.**_


	31. Time

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**Another quick update! Just because I got so many hits yesterday, I'm updating. But I've noticed that people are not reviewing as often as they are. You guys are like my babies, and I want to hear from all of you! I want to hear that this story is getting good. I want to hear your input, your reaction, what you liked, what you didn't like... I want to hear from you. So don't be afraid to hit the review box before you leave!**_

_**Without further ado, Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Suits is-ah, not mine to own, by the way...**_

* * *

><p><em>Moments earlier...<em>

* * *

><p>Max leaned back in her seat as she sat in her office, with her staring out through the window as she twirled the pen in her hand. Her mind was completely elsewhere, nowhere near the building, nor the streets around it. Max's thoughts were in the area of Harvey's apartment, wondering what he was doing right now. Was he sleeping? Was he getting ready for work? Was he sulking in his sleepwear as he was watching re-runs of Star Trek? She suppressed a sigh as she continued to stare out in the sky. Oddly, it was a sunny day, contradicting whatever Max was feeling. Miss Harris was feeling gloomy and under-the-weather, more like a cloudy, gray day. She felt tired and emotionally drained. She just wanted everything to go back to the way they were; uncomplicated, not stressful, and perfect… She bit her lip, it was better that Harvey knew how she felt, so maybe it was a good idea to tell him.<p>

"Miss Harris?" The voice of Fredrick van Greten snapped her out of daydream.

She looked to him, "Oh! I'm sorry Mister van Greten."

"Freddy, please, you make me sound like my father," the slightly graying man said as he leaned back in his seat. Dirty blonde hair flipped effortlessly in a messy array on top of his head as his green eyes looked at her hazels. He had the million-dollar smile, and she knew for a fact this man knew ever inch of the female anatomy. Which is why he was good at his job in the celebrity gossip world. He could pull it off.

"Freddy," she corrected herself, "I was just-"

He cut her off, "Forgetting about my will and future endeavours, and dreaming of me?"

She gave him a tight smile, "Dreaming of someone."

Recognition came across his face, as if he knew what was going on, "I should have known. A woman as beautiful as you must be spoken for."

"I am," she said, remembering Harvey.

"But enough about me," she changed the subject, "let's get professional again."

"It can wait," the man said as he placed the file back onto her desk, "now tell me: why is someone as beautiful as you in such a gloomy state?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "It's complicated."

"He hasn't told you he loves you, has he?" Freddy flashed a knowing smile.

Her eyebrows furrowed, "How did you-"

"Every woman shares that same look," he said cutting her off, "Every damn one. I've seen it on countless women I've been with, and they all have that look," he pointed to her face, "You all have that waiting look."

Max rolled her eyes, "Mister van Greten-"

"Freddy, Miss Harris."

She suppressed a glare, "Mister van Greten, I appreciate your input, but we really have to work at the task at hand-"

"Is it Harvey?" The man asked suddenly.

Max's head shot back, "Excuse me?"

"Harvey Specter. Is it true? That you and him are-"

She cut him off, "I'm sorry sir, but that is none of your concern-"

"So it is true," Fredrick realized, "The rumours are true."

That caught Max's attention.

"Rumours?" She speculated as she fixed her posture.

"Rumours," he started, "That an almighty power-couple of lawyers existed."

She couldn't help but laugh, "Really? Who says this?"

"Other firms. Also, word gets around pretty fast in the corporate world when two of Manhattan's top lawyers are together. It's rather good for their business if they are kept in the loop."

The realization hit Max like a lightening bolt, "Because if you hire one of us, you're bound to get both of us."

Freddy smiled, "And if you're paying for one lawyer, but getting two of them instead? Now that makes your clients feel secure knowing they have two brilliant minds on their case defending them."

The multimillionaire got up, "Plus, it's like watching the Royal Wedding. Everyone wants to see a powerful couple."

Max shook her head, "How though? We're not gossip worthy-"

"_Au contraire, mon cheri_," the man wagged his finger, "Everyone, and when I say everyone, I mean everyone. Everyone wants to hear how the great Harvey Specter, who is the best closer in Manhattan, and all around bad-ass when it comes to a courtroom, fell in love with the sweet, gorgeous, and powerful Maxine Harris, who is possibly one of the greatest up-and-coming civil attorneys that all of New York has ever had."

"What corporation cares about the love life of two lawyers?" Max laughed.

Van Greten stopped to look out the window, "I never said it was a corporation. I said everyone."

Max's mind worked pretty fast, "Which means-"

"New York Times, Good Morning America... basically every media output that is out there," Freddy said as he shoved his hands in his suit pants pocket, "Hell, I'm pretty sure even TMZ wants a piece of you and Harvey."

The brunette had to be sure that he was just telling the truth, and not just trying to get a reaction from her. She flipped open her laptop with force, typing in the internet search bar her name, along with Harvey's name. Almost instantly, websites upon websites had conspiracy theories surrounding the two. Were they together? Were they not together? Were they living together? Did they have a pet? Was Max pregnant? All of these speculations were backed-up with a photo implicating the article beside it.

"This is ridiculous," Max said shaking her head as she closed her computer, "Absolutely ridiculous."

"Well, you can't do anything about it, I suppose," Freddy said as he checked his phone. As soon as he did, he began walking out of the office, "Excuse my abrupt leaving, but I have other matters to attend to."

"Excuse me, Mister van Greten, but I thought we had business to attend to."

"Oh, we did," the man said, sounding oddly professional.

_Wait a minute..._

Max's eyebrows rose, "This wasn't a business meeting, was it?"

The man smiled as he walked out of the office.

"It was for me," he shouted over his shoulder.

_That mother-_

She crumpled up a paper, throwing it at the door. The audacity of the man! Setting up a false meeting to get information out of her. She was going to sue, oh holy hell she was going to sue. Max got up to pace around her office. She was going to sue his stupid ass, and his entire company, and every genius that thought it was a good idea to involve themselves in Harvey's life as well as her own.

She stopped pacing, in order for her mind to work properly.

"Oh, those smart asses."

That's what they wanted. They wanted her to sue, because if she did, Harvey would know, and if Harvey knew, the over-protective side of him would come out and therefore confirming their story even more. She laughed as she sat down on one of the sofas. Maybe she could just forget about it. Or possibly just get Jessica to represent her. Her thoughts came to a halt when her phone began to ring. She pushed herself off of the couch, making her way towards her desk. As Max picked up her phone, she gave a frazzled look as she saw the caller ID. _Harvey never calls at this time_.

"Hello?" she slowly said, wondering why he was calling.

"_Max!_" Harvey yelled into the receiver. Max had never heard Harvey use that tone of voice. Almost anxious, "_Where are you_?_"_

"I'm at the office..." she heard the elevator music from his condo playing. She quickly checked the time, noticing that it was a little late for Harvey's normal time. He didn't usually call at this time, let alone be late to being late. He also sounded different. Not as calm and collected as he usually was. Something was off.

"Is everything okay, Harvey? You sound odd."

She heard him sigh and laugh into the microphone, "_Oh Max, everything... everything's just perfect._"

_Now he's lost it_, "What's going on?"

She heard his firm voice, as if the normal Harvey was coming back.

"_What's going on is I'm doing something I should have done a long ass time_."

Max almost dropped the phone at that moment.

_It all makes sense_, she told herself, _how he's been acting differently. _

"Harvey," she couldn't trust her own voice, "you don't mean-"

She never finished her sentence as he cut her off, "_Don't leave the office. I'm coming to you, okay_?"

Max smiled, barely hiding her tears, "Okay. I'll wait for you, babe."

She placed the phone on the desk, her heart racing in anticipation. She had to sit down, otherwise she would burn a hole in the carpet. He was going to do it. He was going to tell her he loves her. Max could barely keep her fingers from tapping the desk. She'd never been this excited for anything. She grabbed a pen and began drawing random circles in order to calm herself down.

"Was that Harvey?"

She looked up from her desk.

"Oliver Klades?"

The man looked haggard, as if he hadn't slept for weeks. Red-rimmed eyes, a full grown beard in effect, and his clothes wrinkled and dirty. He had a different look to him. Self-assured, and head-strong. Yet it had a scary element to his looks. Max got up from her seat, walking towards him.

"Mister Klades, we've been looking everywhere for you..."

Her mind flashed towards the night her mother died. She hadn't seen it, but she had pictured it many times. She pictured her mother, standing there, unaware of what was going to happen. She pictured the man who shot her, who had the gun pointed at her mother. Her mother would have been fierce. In Max's mind, her mother fought back, talking the shooter out of what they were doing. Her mother grabbed the gun, but it just went off. Max's mother died fighting for her life. Was her mother scared? Did time slow down? Did her mother see the bullet enter her? Did it hurt? These questions were filling her mind. Max had never thought so quickly. It hurt to think this fast, but Max knew she didn't have any time to think slowly.

Time was of the essence now.

_10:18_

Oliver Klades' 9mm was pointed directly at her with no hesitation.

"Gun!" Someone in the hallway shouted, causing everyone to drop what they were doing and began to run out of the firm. It was quiet for a few minutes, Max counted six minutes.

_10:24._

The only thing that was heard in the room was Max's shallow breaths.

"Mister Klades," she said slowly, "What's wrong?"

"Was that _Harvey?_" Oliver asked again in a harsh tone.

Max nodded.

"Is he well? Is his life so perfect right now?" Oliver was waving the gun around, "He didn't try to fix what happened."

"Oliver, please," she asked with her hands out in front of her, "Calm down."

"Do not tell me to calm down," the man said in a low tone, "Harvey is the best lawyer I know, so why didn't he fix what happened to my Karly? He is supposed to be the best right? So why couldn't he win a small sexual harassment lawsuit?" Oliver began to pace around, "Why couldn't he get my little girl justice?"

Max exhaled heavily, "Mister Klades-"

"And why is it that you weren't there to help? Aren't you and Harvey some super team? The power couple?"

The brunette didn't know how to respond.

"Answer me!" The old man yelled, causing Max to jump, and fall to her side.

"Yes! Yes," Max said quickly, "We're together."

"You're important to him," Oliver confirmed, "you love him."

Her mind flashed to Harvey. Oh God, Harvey. Her love. Her babe. Her everything. What would happen to him if something went wrong? She couldn't bear to think of that horrible thought. That Harvey would go on with his life without holding her one more time. How if something went wrong, Max would never see his face, or hear his laugh, or run her fingers through his hair, or smell his scent that made her feel like home.

Max could hear the faint sound of sirens.

"I love him, yes," Max said, holding her tears back.

"He would do anything for you, then," Oliver persuaded.

Max shook her head, "What do you want, Oliver?"

"Justice!" The man screeched, "I want my daughter to be happy! I want my daughter to have what is due to her!"

Oliver stopped for a moment, his ears turning to a sound coming from outside. As he made his way towards the window, Max took a chance to grab her phone. She dialled Harvey's number, placing the phone back on the table as she hit the 'call' button. As soon as she turned around, Oliver turned around as well, focused on the situation at hand. From the corner of her eye, she could see that Harvey had accepted the call.

"Please, Oliver... Mister Klades," Max said this slowly, and loud enough for the phone to pick up the sound, "this isn't a smart decision. You can still get out of this."

"No," Oliver said as he paced back to the office, "There is no going back. I want Harvey to suffer like I did. I want Harvey to lose everything."

"I don't understand-"

"I lost my job, my wife, my home, everything! Just for this damn case," Oliver was almost in tears as he held the gun firmly, "I even lost Karly. Tell me that wasn't Harvey's fault! Tell me that he tried his hardest, because I know that if he did try his hardest, we would have won that case. I just want him to know what it's like to lose everything."

"But you didn't. You still have Karly. She's still here."

"No," the old man shook his head, "Karly never would have given up. She would have never accepted that shitty settlement. The only reason she did was because of that lazy-ass Harvey."

"It wasn't Harvey's fault-"

"Yes it was!"

"No!" She didn't think that pissing him off at that moment was a good idea, but she had to get through to him somehow, "Harvey did _not_ lose the settlement because he didn't work hard enough. He lost because he was blindsided by not having all the information that was withheld from him."

Recognition came over Oliver's face.

It seemed for a moment, that the old Klades was coming back. His features became soft as his eyes didn't hold the anger it once did.

"So please Oliver, put the gun down, and we can both walk out of here."

Suddenly, the anger came back onto Oliver's face, as he pointed the gun towards her.

"I made a promise to myself, and I plan to keep it."

Max let a tear fall, "Oliver, don't-"

A gunshot rang out in the office.

* * *

><p><em><strong>NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!<strong>_

_**WHY DID IT END THERE?**_

_**ON THE NEXT TAOP: Did Harvey hear everything that was going on? Where was everyone else when this went all down? And more importantly, is Max (and Harvey) alright?**_

_**Don't forget to hit that review button!**_

_**xoxo N.**_


	32. Sorry

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**So here we are again. Another update. I just thought I would let you all know that I have written the next chapter and I will post the next chapter either in 7 days (that would be next Thursday) or when the review total reaches 290 (which means that there would be 26 additional reviews). Trust me when I say that the next chapter IS ABSOLUTELY MIND-BLOWINGLY FANTASTICAL and something THAT WE HAVE ALL WANTED FOR A VERY VERY VERY VERY LONG TIME.**_

_**SO REVIEW YA BAFOONS!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Again, I do not own Suits.**_

* * *

><p><em>10:15<em>

* * *

><p>"Donna."<p>

The redheaded woman turned to see a skinny brunette rush across the floor to catch up to her, with Rachel barely making any noise as she crossed the floor

"Well don't you look a bit ruffled," Donna mentioned as she walked towards her desk.

"When your boyfriend asks you to marry him, you might be," Rachel said unconsciously as she followed the woman in front of her.

The said woman stopped where she was.

"Mike _proposed_?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "No, Harvey did."

It was as if Donna's heart stopped.

"This is the same Harvey who can't commit to wearing the same suit twice in a month?"

"Yes, that one," Rachel said as she pointed her index finger at the redhead.

"That bastard," she whispered to her, throwing the folders on her desk, "I thought it was just a temporary break-up, that jerk off."

"Do you think Max said yes?"

Donna rolled her eyes before she sarcastically responded, "Yeah, of course. They clearly look like a recently engaged to be married couple."

Rachel put her hands up in defense, "You never know-"

"Gun!"

Donna and Rachel both looked at the people frantically leaving the floor. They both looked at each other before they began to run towards the exit. The two women hit the stairs, kicking off their expensive heels in a haste to get down to the main floor safely. They arrived to the lobby, evacuating them from the building. It was then that Rachel checked her watch.

* * *

><p><em>10:20<em>

* * *

><p>"Where's Max?" Donna asked suddenly.<p>

* * *

><p><em>10:22<em>

* * *

><p>The powerful lawyer felt powerless as he paced around in the confined area of the lobby of the building, where miraculously there were computers set up quickly and efficiently. He felt like time was mocking him. Harvey couldn't breathe. He felt that his throat was constricting. His chest wouldn't expand. He had tried to hold it together, and Harvey knew once he sat down, he'd come undone.<p>

A hand on his shoulder stopped him from pacing, and Harvey looked up to see Mike with a soft look on his face.

"It's not going to help," Mike said in a low tone, very unlike his usual voice.

"I can't just-" he cut himself off, afraid of what he was going to say.

"Harvey," Mike reached out to him, "You need to keep it together."

"You don't think I'm trying?" Harvey whispered through his teeth, "I am trying to keep it together with everything I've got."

"Harvey," Donna said approaching her boss and long-time friend, "Did you know this is a hostage situation-"

Harvey cut her off, "I know Donna. God, I know."

Donna had never seen that look on Harvey's face. She had never seen him, out of all the people in the world look so frightened. Harvey was so scared. He wasn't composed, but he damn sure was trying his hardest not to sink to his knees in tears. His suit was ruffled, he was leaving scuffmarks on the ground, and holy hell, and she wasn't going to even comment on his hair.

It was then when she realized.

"No," she said, choking up, "It… no- _no_!" Donna held her mouth, afraid that sobs would pass through. Mike had stood beside Harvey as he looked at Donna. As soon as the blond was moving towards the redhead, his eyes spotted his brunette, her mouth slightly open, with her eyes watering. Almost instantly, he rushed to her, engulfing her in his arms. His head perched itself on top of hers as she softly cried into his shirt.

Donna's tears fell from her eyelashes, and Harvey reacted instantly.

"Donna, don't do this to me right now, okay?" He asked her, holding her shoulders, "I need you now more than ever. Max needs you now too. Don't do this. You have to be strong, for all of us."

Donna sniffled as she nodded, "Okay, I'll be your Donna."

Harvey smiled, "No one could have said that better."

As soon as the moment passed, Harvey's breast pocket vibrated just as the moment finished. He pulled out the device with Mike, Rachel, and Donna crowding around him to see the caller. Mike's mouth dried up. Rachel gasped. Donna stared at it in shock. Harvey didn't know if it was a joke or not.

_Maxine Harris – Cell _

"Lieutenant!" Mike called out.

Rachel checked the time.

* * *

><p><em>10:26<em>

* * *

><p>Harvey didn't hesitate; he accepted the call.<p>

The man heard the sound of Max's hard breathing from the other side of the line, which gave him some comfort. She was still alive. She was still fighting. Lieutenant Lower came almost immediately, and Harvey put the phone on speaker, placing it in the middle of the circle.

"_Please_," Mac's voice filled Harvey with security, "_Oliver… Mister Klades…"_

Harvey smiled. _That's my girl._

Lowe pointed to another officer sitting in front of a laptop, which then turned and typed in Oliver's name quickly on the computer. The old man's face appeared on the screen. Lowe turned to Harvey, who then nodded in confirmation.

"_This isn't a smart decision. You can still get out of this._"

"Good Max," Donna said to herself, "talk him out of it."

"_No_," the gruff voice of the man responded sternly, "_there is no going back_," there was shuffling on the other side, "_I want Harvey to suffer like I did. I want Harvey to lose everything._"

Harvey's heart stopped.

_He was coming after me._

"_I don't understand_-"

"_I lost my job, my wife, my home, everything! All because of this damn case. I even lost Karly_," Oliver's voice got higher, "_Tell me that wasn't Harvey's fault!_"

_Yes, it was my fault._

"_Tell me that he tried he hardest, because I know that if he did try his hardest, we would have won the case,"_ Klade's voice got cold, "_I just want him to know what it's like to lose everything._"

_No, please, take me. Don't hurt her, please._

"_But you didn't_," Max said softly, "_You still have Karly. She's still here._"

"_No, Karly would have never given up she would have never accepted that shitty settlement. The only reason she did was because of that lazy-ass Harvey_."

"_It wasn't Harvey's fault_-"

"_Yes it was!_"

"_No!_" She fought back, and Harvey was just about to have a heart attack.

_Don't make him angry, babe. Please._

"_Harvey did not lose the settlement because he didn't work hard enough. He lost because he was blindsided by not having all the information that was withheld from him_."

There was a long silence on the phone.

_Max…_

"_So please Oliver, put the gun down, and we both can walk out of here._"

The phone was silent again, with Oliver's breaths inaudible, and Max's voice was unheard of.

_Please be okay… Please be okay…_

"_I made a promise to myself, and I intend to keep it_."

_Oh God-_

"_Oliver, don't-_"

Everyone flinched at the sound of the gunshot.

"No!" Harvey shouted almost instantly.

Rachel couldn't bear the thought of losing Max as she shoved her face into Mike's collarbone as he stood there in shock. Max… No, it couldn't be. She couldn't have been gone. This was his best friend. No, this had been his sister. She couldn't be gone. She couldn't have left him just like that. _Not Max, not like this._ Donna left the circle moving towards the windows in order to hide her face.

Harvey's grip on the phone was loose. His mind didn't register what happened. "Max?" His voice cracked as he asked the question he knew he wouldn't get an answer to. He didn't just lose her. Harvey Specter did not just lose the most important thing to him in all of his life. Robotically, he placed the phone back into his pocket. His chest heaved as Harvey turned towards the elevators, running towards them automatically. He was stopped and held back by several other police officers who would not permit him to go upstairs. Harvey struggled against them all, willing himself to go to Max. He was fighting tooth and nail to get to her, to see her, to save her. His eyes leaked with tears that Harvey thought he'd never shed.

_I'm sorry, Max. I'm so sorry._

* * *

><p><em>10:30<em>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Do you want to see more<strong>_**_?_**

**_DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!_**

**_xoxo N._**


	33. Yes

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**It's Thursday! And as promised, I got up bright and early before school in order to post the chapter you've all been anticipating for!**_

_**I'll leave all the other bullshit at the bottom.**_

_**So, go on! Read! Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. I do not own a thing relating to Suits**_

* * *

><p>Holy shit.<p>

Max couldn't believe she dodged a bullet.

Granted, that was a crappy shot, but she dodged the bullet nonetheless. Max looked up to see Oliver moving closer to her. On instinct, she stood up and threw something hard and metallic at him, nailing him right in the head. It stopped him for a moment, until he came charging back at her.

Jocelyn Harris came to her at that moment, Max remembering when she was fourteen, and her mother showed her how to southpaw punch. Although Max was a righty, everyone suspected people punch with his or her right. With her fist clenched properly, she powerfully swung at Oliver, getting him right in the temple. She went back at him again, throwing a right at him. It hit him squarely in the face.

This time, Oliver went down.

She didn't hesitate as she grabbed her phone, ended the call, and ran down the hallway of Pearson Hardman. She turned her head to see Oliver right on her tail. She swerved through hallways, cutting corners and crawling under things when she noticed she had lost him. That was when she kicked off her shoes, the ones Harvey bought her, as she sprinted towards the elevator. Max soon found out that there was no power on the elevator. She turned her head in all directions before she spotted the printer room. She ran into the room and was about to lock the door when she stopped herself. If Oliver came across a locked door, he'd know she was in there. So she hid between two copy machines in the corner.

She pulled out her cellphone.

'_Harvey Specter, you better answer your phone_.'

* * *

><p><em>10:45<em>

* * *

><p>Harvey grasped the railing with all of his might as the SWAT teams were trying to get the cameras online again, in order to see if the area was clear for entry. He just lost her, he just lost his life. Max was gone. She was unresponsive on the phone before the line went dead. Harvey wasn't a praying man, but he hoped with everything that Max was still alive. She couldn't be gone. Harvey didn't remember how he lived without her. She was everything to him. She couldn't leave him, not like this. They were supposed to be in France, with their children and fine wine. They were supposed to grow old together. They were supposed to stay together. She was supposed to be alive.<p>

Harvey's phone vibrated, and he pulled his head up, forcing the tears back where they came from. With a heavy heart, he opened his phone, checking his messages.

His heart stopped.

_Maxine Harris: _'_Harvey Specter, you better answer __your phone_.'

What?

'_Max?_' He typed back quickly.

Max looked at her phone, seeing that Harvey responded. She rolled her eyes.

'_No, Mike_.'

As if his heart was put together again, relief washed over him. She was still here. He scolded himself for not realizing sooner that his girl was a fighter. She was tough. Harvey called to Lowe, who came over to him.

"Specter, now's not the time-"

"She's alive," Harvey cut him off, showing his phone to Lowe, "She's texting me."

"How do you know it's her?"

"I just know," he said, going back to his phone. He typed a message, and sent it back to Max.

She sat uncomfortably as Max checked her phone. Clearly Harvey wasn't in the mood for jokes.

'_The gunshot. I thought you died._'

She held a gasp back. _Oh, Harvey_…

'_I'm okay, babe. I'm hiding._'

'_You're not in danger?_' He responded quickly.

'_No. I'm in the printer room near the elevator between two copy machines. Oliver is somewhere in the office_.'

Harvey smiled before relaying the information to Lowe, who changed the route of infiltration. Harvey responded back.

'_The cameras are down in the office. Can you see him?_'

She paused for moment, looking over the heap of metal. As soon as her head popped up, a bullet flew by her head. She turned to see Oliver reloading his gun. She took the chance and ran out the copy room, charging straight for the woman's washroom. Another bullet flew by Max, but she was too high on adrenaline to register it. She got to the washroom easily, slamming the door shut, and locking it behind her.

It was then when she noticed the blood.

She looked at her arm, seeing the newly large bullet hole on her left bicep. She lifted her right arm towards the spot, applying a bit of pressure. Max hissed in protest as she yanked her arm away.

_Shit. He got me._

She barricaded herself in one of the washroom stalls, pulling her phone out as she listened for Oliver. Harvey was frantically texting her, waiting for a response.

'_Max? Everything okay?_'

'_Please respond babe_.'

'_I heard gunshots. Please answer back_.'

'_Max, I swear to God if this is a joke, this is not the time_.'

She rolled her eyes, '_He found me. I was running. Relax, I'm hidden again_.'

'_Are you okay_?'

She looked at her arm, noticing it was bleeding more than it usually should be. She knew the one spot to get shot in and most likely to survive was the arm, but it was bleeding to the point where the possibility of having been hit in an artery was most likely.

'_No,_' she texted back.

A gunshot bounced off the stall next to her, and in shock, Max dropped her phone. Unfortunately, it landed right in the toilet. Max could see the phone's screen scratch up and turn black.

_Shit, shit, shit_.

Harvey sent another text for the second time, realizing the wait was a little longer than usual. He began to lose his cool. Max told him that she wasn't okay. Was she hit? Was she bleeding? Had she been caught? Is she alive?

Harvey didn't think a second thought before he went to Lowe.

"Lieutenant!" He shouted, "You need to get in there. Now."

* * *

><p><em>10:53<em>

* * *

><p>Another gunshot blew through the bathroom door, hitting the stall beside her. She peeked through the crack of the door, noticing the door was still shut, with a few holes in it. She sighed as she ran a finger through her hair. He was on the other side of the door. She was bleeding more than she should. The adrenaline was wearing off. The fear was creeping through her. The fear of leaving Donna and Rachel was over powering. How it would hurt them. Leaving Mike without having a levelheaded person looking out for him. Leaving her father just as he got his daughter back.<p>

The worst was leaving Harvey. Leaving him heartbroken and destroyed. If she died, she didn't know if Harvey would be able to love again. She couldn't bear the thought of Harvey loving someone else. Max looked down at the phone sitting in the toilet. It was then she realized that she left him because he couldn't tell her he loved her. Maxine laughed at how stupid that seemed now. You had to be a blind man to not notice that Harvey loved her, and she loved him. So what if he couldn't say it? She didn't need to think about that anymore. She didn't need to hear it. She knew that she needed to do everything she could to get back to Harvey.

Suddenly, there was a banging at the door, and Max braced herself. The banging became heavier, and the door was groaning in protest. All at once, the door flew open.

Max screamed.

* * *

><p><em>11:03<em>

* * *

><p>Harvey paced frantically in the lobby as he waited for the extraction team to come back. After speaking to Lowe and telling him exactly where Max was, the SWAT team gathered a few men together, and finally went up to Pearson Hardman. His hands clenched in impatience as he waited for the best news he would hear; that Max was okay. He overheard on the radio frequency that there was a package secure. His heart kept doing flips as he watched from across the lobby the elevator lights count down the floors. He eyed each of the officers watching him, making sure he didn't make a run for it. The elevator finally reached the lobby, and Harvey stopped to see the elevator open. Lieutenant Lowe came out first, walking out of the lift. He stood facing the powerful lawyer. Lowe smiled as he turned behind him. Harvey's eyes travelled behind Lowe.<p>

Directly in Max's eyes.

"Harvey," she whispered.

"Max," he sighed in relief.

She instantly ran to him, not caring about her Michael Kors skirt ripping. Harvey walked forward, knowing full well that she should brace himself; otherwise Max would knock him on his ass. As she neared him, she flung herself at him, clutching him to death. Harvey buried his face in her hair, smelling the comforting vanilla. His memory could not do justice to Max's skin, because he could never get the softness of her skin right. She felt perfect in his arms. His heart felt whole. He felt safe. He felt okay.

Harvey's hands squeezed harshly around Max's waist, but that was exactly what Max wanted. She buried her face in Harvey's shoulder, inhaling his scent. She felt Harvey's large hand move from her back to behind her head, stroking her hair lovingly. Harvey holding her was like she felt like a warm blanket placed over her after a cold day in the snow. She had been without his touch for so long, she missed it badly. Now that she had him in her arms, she couldn't help but squeeze tighter. He felt so _good_. He felt like home. He felt right.

"Yes," she whispered to him.

He pulled back to look at her face, still keeping her in his arms.

_Did she just-_

"What?" He asked her incredulously

She nodded.

"Yes Harvey. I'll marry you."

His hands clasped onto her face.

"Are you sure?" Harvey asked her.

She nodded, "I haven't been sure about anything else."

Max could tell you over and over again that she loved kissing Harvey, because each time she did, her heart fluttered. But that kiss, the one they had after being away from each other for so long, the one where they thought that they might never see each other again… It was one of the greatest kisses of her life. He pulled her close, holding her tightly as his strong hands warmed her back. Max couldn't help but relax when she smelled him. His cologne, his musky scent... he smelled of expensive, and to Max it was perfect. His lips were the same as they always were: soft, caring, but hungry, needy. He tasted so sweet, like honey. He wasn't going anywhere. Not by a long shot. Max wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hoisting herself up on Harvey. He lifted her easily, gladly holding her in his arms. Max felt like he was holding an angel in his arms. She smelled of vanilla, and the scent of a woman, something he had missed dearly. He missed the intimacy of holding Max, feeling her skin, her soft hair, and her plump lips. She tasted just like chocolate would to a child. His brain was finally at ease; no more worrying, no more hoping, no more pain. Max was in his arms, and she wasn't going anywhere.

Harvey finally knew that.

They pulled away, both of them with contented smiles on their face. Harvey put her down on the ground, realizing that she was shorter than she usually was on a workday. He looked down at her feet, realizing her shoes were missing.

"Now, I'm either hallucinating, or your shoes are missing," he told her in a teasing voice, his arms still around her tightly.

She smiled as she placed her palms on his chest, "When you're running for your life, Harvey, you do what you got to do."

"Those were six hundred dollar shoes," Harvey said in a mocking tone.

"I'll buy new ones," she said, giving him another kiss on the lips. The kiss lingered, with Max giving him short kisses over and over again. Harvey smiled as she pulled away, looking him in his eyes.

"I missed kissing you," Harvey said, leaning down for another peck, "I almost forgot how you felt."

Max shook her head, "so I guess you forgot about what goes on in the bedroom?"

"I could have amnesia and I still wouldn't forget every second of that."

The brunette laughed as Harvey readjusted his grip on her. His eyes moved towards the elevator, and his jaw clenched in anger. Max turned around to follow his eyesight, just as Oliver Klades was stepping off the elevator, handcuffed, with his face badly bruised, and a bloody noise, that most likely was broken. Max should have been scared of him, or angry with him for putting her through that. But all she could feel was pity and sympathy for the old man. Yes, he attacked her, and she defended herself in order for her not to get killed, but she could tell that Oliver was at the end of his rope. He was done with life, and he just… snapped.

Harvey, on the other hand, was absolutely livid. His nostrils flared as he looked at the old man approaching the exit for the lobby. Harvey didn't care if the man was more than twice his age, he could kill him for hurting his girl. The man should have had a brain and realized that it wasn't Max's fault that the case ended the way it did. Hell, it wasn't even his fault. He just was unprepared.

Max could feel Harvey's hands on her back clench in a fist. She put a reassuring hand on his cheek, pulling his eyes away from Oliver. It took a lot more effort that she thought as she forced him to make eye contact with her. She grasped onto his chin, holding it as if he were a pitiful child.

"Harvey," she told him slowly, "I'm okay."

His jaw was still clenched, as he looked down. She jerked his head up, looking him in the eyes okay.

"I'm… _okay_, Harvey," she said with a comforting smile, "I'm here, in your arms, safe. No one is going to take me away from you. Not even me."

Harvey finally nodded, "Okay."

He pulled her towards his chest, her head safely tucked underneath his chin. Her eyes closed, feeling all her adrenaline leave her body. She listened to her own words, and she was right. She felt safe in his arms. Her eyes fluttered shut, her eyes growing heavier with every minute she stayed in Harvey's arms.

"Excuse me. Ma'am," a man came to her, carrying a duffel bag with the words 'EMT' written on it, "I need to take a look at that bullet wound."

Harvey finally registered that Max was shot, and quickly pushed her at arm's length to see where she had been hit. She softly cried out in pain, giving Harvey a harsh look as she pointed to her arm. Sheepishly, he followed Max and the EMT towards a chair with an empty table beside it. Harvey pulled a chair right beside her, grasping on her hand. The man began working on the wound, with Max barely making a sound. Harvey held her hand the entire time. It was quick when the EMT placed the stitches on her, wrapping her arm up. After giving instructions to clean it, the EMT gave a small smile and left, leaving the couple on their own. Max, who was tired and numb on pain meds, and Harvey, who was just tired.

"Are you high?" Harvey asked as his head rested on hers, which was on his shoulder.

She sighed, "I wish. This would have been a fun experience for you."

He lifted his head, "You tired?"

She nodded as she snuggled to his shoulder. Harvey wrapped an arm around her.

"Max!"

The brunette jolted awake at that moment as she pulled from Harvey's embrace to see a skinny blond man running to her. Mike was rushing to her, and Max turned to face him. He slowed down before pulling Max a little harshly, slamming her against him. She would have been offended, had it been anyone else, but this was Mike, and he was an emotional person. She held him tightly, feeling the comfort coming from Mike. Of course, it wasn't the same as holding Harvey, but she felt the love Mike had in the hug. She held her best friend, realizing that she couldn't remember the last time she saw him. The thought scared her.

"Mike," she choked out, feeling a tear leak out of her eyes.

"Hey," the blond said, his own tears in his eyes.

She gave him a lopsided smile, "You really didn't think I'd leave you all alone, would you?"

He gave her a tight-lipped smile, "You're too tough for that."

"Damn straight," she said, lightly punching him.

Rachel and Donna came rushing over, ripping Max away from the boys as the three girls embraced each other. Max couldn't hold the tears back as both Donna and Rachel began sobbing along with Max. Harvey looked at Mike, who looked right back at Harvey, as they backed away slightly from the girls. Harvey ran a hand over his face, realizing that he must have aged at least five years in the past hour. Mike looked just as worse as he did, if not better. The look on the young man's face was the residue of a long morning, with having dealt with Harvey, and also going through the experience of almost losing his best friend. Harvey realized Mike wouldn't have acted this badly if it was Trevor instead.

"Max is your best friend," Harvey told him.

Mike's head shot back, "Yeah..."

"No, I mean, she is. Not Trevor. Yeah, Trevor's got more than twenty years on your relationship with Max, but you've known Max for over two years, and that's a better relationship than the shitty one you had with Trevor."

"I've never heard you say so much to me in one sentence," Mike said, his relax demeanor seeping through.

"I've never had to say that much in a sentence."

Harvey's eyes caught onto the old man running towards them. He instantly realized it was Julian Satan, who must have gotten word earlier, but was stuck in traffic. The powerful billionaire scouted the area, spotting Harvey first, as the girls moved to the opposite corner to talk about something apparently private. The business man was out of breath.

"She's okay?" He asked in an anxious tone.

Harvey nodded, "She's fine. She's not even shaken up."

Julian laughed oddly, "Just like her mother. Lord knows that woman could be calm in an hurricane."

"Mom could be calm in the Apocalypse," Max said tiredly, coming up beside Julian. Instinctively, Julian's arm wrapped around her shoulders as his daughter leaned into his embrace. Her father was still shockingly tall. Max's head was rested on his broad chest, with Julian stroking her hair in a paternal fashion. Harvey looked in awe, here was his girl being held by a man she hated just several months ago. Max had come a long way, knowing full well that she may never forgive her father, but she loved him, that was evident.

"Specter," Lowe called from behind him. Harvey turned and made his way towards the computer screens.

"What is it?" The lawyer came up to the Lieutenant.

Lowe pointed to the computer screens, "The camera's weren't transmitting properly; someone tampered with the connection. But the camera still recorded it digitally on the back-up drive," the screen shifted to Max and Oliver in her office, with Klades just pulling out the gun.

"I don't need to see this," Harvey turned around, only to be stopped by Lowe.

"Yes, you do," the officer said, forcing Harvey to turn around.

The screen fast forward to the point where Oliver began walking towards the window. In an instant, Max whipped out her cellphone, throwing it on the table.

"The phone call," Harvey said.

"It gets better," Lowe told him.

The screen moved past them talking, and slowed to where Oliver raised his gun again. On instinct, Max flung herself to the ground just before the gun went off.

"She _dodged_ the bullet?" Harvey looked at Lowe incredulously.

Lowe only pointed to the screen.

It showed Max getting up, throwing a book end at Oliver. It didn't stopped him, though. Harvey stared at the screen as Max threw a _left_ hook first, then a right hook. _Holy shit,_Harvey thought. Oliver went down then, and Max ran to grab her phone, and shot out of the office. The screen went to another camera angle, fast forwarding to the part where Max stopped in front of the printer room, went for the door, hesitated, then ran into the room.

"Why'd she do that?" Harvey asked, mostly himself.

Lowe responded, "If an intruder comes across a lock door, they know the victim is inside. Max knew that."

"Did it work?" Harvey asked. As soon as the words left his mouth, Oliver came right to the door, stuck his head in, and walked the opposite way.

Lieutenant Lowe smiled, "Harvey Specter, your woman is one of a kind."

His eyes found her at that moment. Harvey could go on and on about how perfectly imperfect she was. How she could be such a badass, and yet be so feminine. The strongest woman he knew was also the most vulnerable. The most outspoken woman he knew was also the most humble. She was perfect; granted, she had secrets that _finally_ came through, and that took a while. Also, Max was sometimes _too_ passionate about things, which ended in her getting hurt. Really hurt. But that's why she was one of a kind.

"Harvey," his perfect woman said against her father's chest, being mumbled by the expensive fabric.

He walked to her, his hand went to her lower back instantly as she pulled away from Julian.

"Home?" He asked her, not missing a beat.

She nodded, resting her head on his shoulder as they began walking slowly. Harvey spotted Ray on the other side of the street, just outside of the large crowd of people.

_Shit_, Harvey thought. He looked down at Max. The meds were starting to kick in, and she was dead on her feet. Her eyes were slightly drooping. There was no way she would make it to the car.

"Lowe," he called out. The Lieutenant was there in a matter of seconds.

"Can you clear a path?" He pointed to the crowd. The officer nodded, calling out to a few fellow officers as they walked out of the door. Harvey looked at the crowd as there was a small opening they were creating. He looked to Max, whom he thought was just about to pass out. He brushed her hair out of her face.

"Max, I'm going to carry you."

"No."

_Even in sleep, she's stubborn_.

"I can make it to the car, Harvey," she said, sleep slurred into her words.

"But can you make it through the crowd?" He said, placing an arm behind her knees. Max gave away easily, yet he could feel her protest.

"I'm going to kick your ass later," she mumbled as she snuggled closer to his chest.

He didn't respond as the door was held open for him. Instantly, people starting cheering and shouting and clapping loudly. He looked at them oddly, wondering why they were obsessing over the woman in his arms. He swiftly moved through the human shield as reporters bombarded the couple with questions. As Max was leaning against Harvey's chest, all she wanted to do was to scream at the reporters, telling them to get their noses out of her business. She heard a powerful man shout, "Make way!", before the majority of the noise began to fade. Harvey held her carefully as he placed her in the back, Max easily snuggling to the leather. Shutting the door, he moved around to the other side, where Lowe was waiting for him.

"Thank you," Harvey shook his hand, "Thank you for bringing her back."

Lowe nodded, "You're welcome. Although, if I wasn't here, I'm pretty sure she would have gotten out on her own."

Harvey smirked as he got in the car.

"I'll see you soon, Specter," Lowe said, shutting the door. Harvey looked at Max, who instantly rested her head on his thigh. His hands weaved its way through her hair, feeling the softness of each strand.

"Harvey," Ray said from the front seat, "That was a stupid move, carrying Max. The press is going to eat it up."

The lawyer looked at the man in the driver seat, "What do you mean, Ray?"

The driver looked at Harvey through the rear-view mirror, only smiling before looking back on the road.

"I'll explain later, babe," Max said softly from below, "you'll want to be somewhere you can yell when you hear this."

She felt Harvey relax, finally happy that he was bringing her home, she assumed. She closed her eyes then, the last sight she saw was the clock: it's bright red numbers flashing at her. She had realized that she was held at gun point, was shot at, ran for her life, punched a man _twice_, reunited with Harvey, Mike, Donna, Rachel, and her father, all before lunch.

_Fuck_, she realized, _I'm really hungry._

* * *

><p><em>11:59<em>

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><p><em><strong>Really people? Really?<strong>_

_**I'd kill Max after 32 chapters?**_

_**COME ON! HAVE A LITTLE FAITH!**_

_**Anyways, I want to that EVERYONE who reviewed! I made a bet with my best friend that I could get up to 280 reviews before Thursday (I know I said 290- I was giving myself a safety net). Now, I am twenty dollars richer (mmmmmm)**_

_**Now don't worry; there's still a big chunk of TAOP left. It is possible for me to write out at least 5, maybe 6 chapters.**_

_**Unless you guys are in the mood for a sequel? (Even though I absolutely loathe sequels, I just can't get rid of Max. Not yet.)**_

_**Let me know in the reviews!**_

_**xoxo N.**_


	34. Missus

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**I know, I haven't updated. The only reason I have updated is because...**_

_**SUITS IS COMING BACK ON JUNE 14TH!**_

_**...and also, my computer broke. So I had to go over the chapter again.**_

_****Some explicit content. Be warned.****_

_**I have an announcement at the end the chapter, so keep reading!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**P.S. Suits? Yeah, doesn't belong to me** _

* * *

><p>"...From what we've acquired from an inside source, the suspect, Oliver Klades had motive to attack Miss Harris, who at the time had just finished a meeting with a client. After the initial attack from Klades, Miss Harris attempted to protect herself physically, as well as throwing a bookend at Klades. Miss Harris then proceeded to barricade herself in the washroom, where police and SWAT teams managed to restrain Klades before any further damage was done. Lieutenant Lowe gave a statement..."<p>

Harvey felt exhausted and frustrated, having to deal with the news reporters the entire day. Phone call after phone call came in; on his cellphone, on Max's cellphone, his home phone... hell, even the front desk was getting phone calls from eager reporters. He never hated people more than at that moment, not only because they were harassing him and his girl, but also they were harassing them both on their relationship. The front desk notified them that there was a swarm of paparazzi waiting at the entrance of the building, just hoping that the couple ends up coming down to the lobby. As Harvey held the converter loosely, he watched the only news station that wasn't talking about their relationship, which he was grateful for.

"...On that note, looks like the power-couple of the corporate world have finally come out of hiding. Harvey Specter, the well-known lawyer and multimillion dollar bachelor has been out of the dating game, and now we officially know why. Maxine Harris, the victim of this situation, who we have just found out is the daughter of Julian Satin of Satin and Satin-"

Harvey flicked off the television before he could hear one more word out of the over-the-top bubbly reporter could continue. Harvey has never been this angry in his life. If all these people want to stick their nose in his business, then he'd handle them. But the second they shoved a microphone in Max's face, Harvey almost ripped the head off the guy. His eyes travelled to his bedroom, allowing him to see the sleeping goddess wrapped up in his blanket. He sighed; his poor Max went through so much that day. The whole situation with Oliver became even worse when the reporters kept shoving their cameras towards Max. Harvey had never felt so protective over her than at that moment.

He got off the couch, slowly walking towards Max, who was snuggled up in one of Harvey's old Harvard shirts. It was big on her when she first put it on, just covering her bottom, and Harvey loved that look on her. Her hair was in a messy bun at the top of her head, with her hands on top of the pillow. He had never seen something so beautiful in his life than the woman in his bed. His girlfriend was the focus of his life.

Correction: his _fiancée_.

His eyes travelled to his mahogany watch box, where the small velvet box was nestled and hidden. He hadn't known why, but when Max left him, he went out and bought the ring. Something deep in his gut forced him to go out and get it. He didn't even know if he was going to end up with Max again, but he knew he had to get that ring. With swiftness, Harvey pried the box open, revealing the extravagant ring. He slowly climbed onto the bed, grabbing her hand, sliding the ring on her left hand. With a smile, he got off the bed, looking down at her. Her hand lay perfectly beside her head, the light from the bedside table reflecting off the diamond, causing the ring to glitter.

Harvey never felt so happy in his life.

Just after Harvey was about to walk out of the room, the beauty lying in the sheets began to stir. Harvey had one hand on the column, looking back at her. She stretched out, sighing in relief, before looking up.

She smiled, "Hi handsome."

"Well hello to you too beautiful," Harvey softly said, moving towards the bed before lying down beside Max, with his head propped up on his elbow.

"What time is it?" Max asked, looking at the sky, which said near dusk.

"Six-ish," Harvey said nonchalantly.

"I slept for almost six hours?" Max said, getting up in disbelief.

"You needed it babe," Harvey said, grasping at her hair, and her face. She hadn't been eating, and her face look ghastly.

"You haven't been eating," he told her incredulously.

Max shrugged, "I tried, but I couldn't keep anything down."

"Babe," Harvey said, scolding her, "I don't want you hurting yourself because of a silly fight."

"Well you're not any better," Max took in his dark circles and tired eyes, "You can't sleep without me?"

"You know I can only sleep if I know you're safe."

"Which is in your arms," Max said, leaning forward so that her head was tucked underneath his head.

"Which is in my arms," he said, agreeing with her, kissing her head.

"That's not an excuse for not sleeping, Harvey," her voice was mumbled, vibrating off of his collarbone.

"Is that a fact?"

"That better not be your smart mouth talking."

"Couldn't help myself, you make it too easy."

She smirked, which Harvey noticed, "Who said I was easy, Harvey?"

"Well when you put it that way, my dear, you seem to be one of the most complex and confusing person I have ever come across."

She pushed herself up, smiling at Harvey.

"That's better," she said, before giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. She untangled herself from the bed, moving towards the washroom. She stopped for a second; stretching her arms above her head as her went on her toes. Harvey couldn't help but look at Max's backside. Her light blue lacy panties were formed to her butt, and he couldn't help but lick his bottom lip. He's seen her rear more times than he could count, and every time he did, he loved it more and more. Max relaxed, and began walking into the washroom to check herself in the mirror. She unwravelled her hair from her bun, letting in cascade down her shoulders. The light was blinding as she rubbed her eyes, tired from the events that morning. Something hard scrapped her nose, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She pulled her hand away, inspecting what the hell caused that.

Max's heart stopped.

The first thing she thought it looked like was a rosebud. There was a round, brilliant diamond centre stone wrapped in smaller diamonds. It wasn't big, but it was detailed, and boy, did it sparkle. Her hand looked perfect with the ring now. She wanted so badly to give it back to Harvey, tell him that it was too much, that a small ring would suffice. Hell, even his love for her would be enough for Max. But there was no way in hell that this ring was on her finger. It couldn't be; not this specific ring.

Not the Jean Schlumberger Engagement Ring.

"Jesus," she whispered to herself, looking at the ring.

"No babe, Harvey," he told her from the bed.

"Yeah," she whispered, "Harvey freaking Specter," Max's other hand held her chest, making sure her heart stayed in place. She turned to 'Harvey freaking Specter', who was propped up with his arm underneath his body as he faced her sideways. She gave him that look, the one she always does when he's spent too much money on something that should have gone to better use. Harvey had a shit-eating grin on his face, and Max didn't know whether to punch him or straddle him.

"Oh, Harvey... It's," she breathed, smiling.

"It's..."

"You like?" He asked her.

She shook her head as she sucked in her cheeks, hiding her blush, "I will beat you one day, I swear."

He pouted as his eyes followed her out of the bathroom, her eyes narrow as if she was stalking her prey. Without warning, she pounced on him, wrestling with him as she straddled his waist. Harvey was also in a playful mood, and grasped both her hands with his, using his strength to wrestle her off. She squealed in delight as Harvey flipped her on the mattress, him over powering her. He quickly let go of her, his hands travelling to her stomach, with his fingers fluttering over her stomach. She giggled as she squirmed underneath his touch, her laugher uncontainable. She screeched as she grasped onto his wrists, trying to stop his attack on her. But Harvey was never one to let up, and began tickling her harder.

"Harvey... Stop!" She said in-between laughs. Harvey's head ducked down, just below her belly, and blew a raspberry into her stomach. She howled with laughter as her body scrunched together. Mercifully, Harvey stopped, his arms supporting himself as he hovered over his girl. Max began to relax, slightly breathing heavily, her cheeks flushing. She looked up at him, her features softening. Harvey's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her angelic face.

"What's wrong?" He whispered to her.

She pressed her lips together as her finger trailed the side of his face.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Max whispered, her voice cracking at the end.

Harvey's heart ached, "Babe, don't think like that-"

"It's all I can think about," she placed her hand on his chest, looking at the diamond ring.

"This, right here, is what I was thinking about. Running away from something that was so foolish, and at the wrong time. Running away from us, just because I was selfish," she looked into his eyes, where she saw the softness in his eyes, a very rare experience.

"I know you love me, Harvey Specter. I don't need to hear it. When I was in that room, and the gun was pointed at me... I couldn't help but think of my mother, never telling my father how she really felt. She really did love him, and she ran away, because she could never fix her relationship," her eyes began to water, "to this day it eats at my father, never hearing that he never got to hear my mom she loved him one last time. I kept thinking that if I died at that moment, not being able to tell you I love you again… you'd be devastated, and I was afraid you would never be able to recover, and I couldn't bear the thought of you living your life that way-"

"Max," he said softly, cutting her off. Max bit her bottom lip as she wiped her tears away.

"Hey," he said sternly, moving her hand so that he could wipe her tears, "You listen to me, Max. I'm not going anywhere. The scariest experience I have ever had was thinking that you were gone. To not have you in my life because someone took you away... it would kill me. But you're here. You're safe, Max. There is no one who is going to take me away from you," he cooed to her. She nodded, clearly still distraught.

"Come here," Harvey sat up, pulling Max up as well, shifting her on his lap with her legs on either side of him, "You can't think like that anymore. You're here, I'm here, and I will always be here, as long as you want me here. But I need to know that you'll be here, too. I'm not going to run," he pulled her chin up, so that their eyes would meet.

"Are you planning on leaving?" He asked her.

Max sighed, shaking her head, "I said yes, Harvey. That means I never want to leave you."

"Well then I'm not going anywhere, and you're not going anywhere, so stop worrying," he kissed her softly, "okay?"

He finally got a smile out of her, "Okay, babe."

"Good," he kissed her again, "Now stop sulking, Mrs. Specter."

Her eyes widened, "_Missus?_"

It just hit her then.

_Holy shit,_ she thought, _I'm getting married. I am marrying Harvey Specter._

Harvey fell to the other side of the mattress, "Sounds amazing, doesn't it?"

Max's eyes closed as she smiled, "Maxine Harris-Specter."

"Maxine Specter-Harris."

Her left eye opened, staring at him through the corner of her eye.

"Harris-Specter."

"Specter-Harris," Harvey elbowed her playfully.

She huffed, "We'll decide later."

There was a pause before Max's hand snaked over Harvey's hand on the bed.

"I'm marrying you," she whispered, almost in disbelief.

Harvey smiled, leaning towards her, kissing her head, "I'm marrying _you._"

"Yeah, but," Max got up, straddling his waist again, her legs on either side of Harvey, "I'm marrying Harvey Specter. _The_ Harvey Specter. Senior Partner at Pearson Hardman. Man extraordinaire, and also the sexiest man I have ever laid my eyes on. How the hell am I supposed to compete with that?"

Harvey's eyebrows rose, "This is coming from Aphrodite herself, right?"

She smirked, leaning down, "Aphrodite has nothing on me."

"Now you're talking, babe."

"Not anymore."

She leaned down, kissing him deeply. Her hands travelled down his chest, each finger leaving a burning sensation through his shirt. Max's fingers curled around the hem of his shirt as she forced his shirt upwards. Harvey sat up completely, allowing Max to completely take off his shirt. Once it came off completely, her hands ravaged his torso. She hadn't felt him in so long, that he missed him dearly. The feel of his skin was like velvet under her fingers. Her hands felt at home on his body.

His tongue darted deeply into her mouth, emitting a moan from the woman in his lap. His hands rested on her hips from underneath the old Harvard shirt. He slowly started to push the shirt off, his hands grazing over her breasts as he broke off the kiss, pulling the shirt completely off her head. He looked down at her; the light blue lacy bra and panties set made her even more delectable. He ignored the bandage on her arm. He didn't want to be reminded of the events that happened earlier.

His lips came into contact with her neck, suckling her skin. Max gasped in surprise and pleasure, her hands clutching his hair. She craved him just as much as he wanted her. In response, her lower torso grinded against Harvey, causing the man to groan in pleasure.

Then, the doorbell rang.

"Ignore it," Harvey said, moving his lips lower down her chest, between her breasts.

"What... if it's... important?" She said between gasps.

"Just ignore it," he mumbled against her skin.

"Har...vey... You ne- _need_ to... answer-r-oh... Oh..." She moaned as he suckled deeply between the two peaks. His hands were at her back, his fingers defly trying to rid Max of her bra. His tongue darted between the fabric and her skin, and Max sighed in content.

The doorbell rang again, causing Max to push against him.

"Come on," she said, leaning down to kiss the top of his head, her hands on the top of his arms, "Get the door before they ring again."

Harvey growled, taking in her almost naked body. He followed the lines of the blue lace with his eyes, his tongue darting out in anticipation.

"Screw it," Harvey said in a husky voice, his hands going towards her bottom, "They can wait. I have the most beautiful woman in my lap right now, so the world can burn for all I care."

"Harv-" she cut herself off with a gasp right after Harvey squeezed her bottom roughly. Oddly enough, Max became even more aroused; her hands clutched the top of his arms, her nails digging into his biceps. Harvey's hands slipped from her bottom to her stomach, his palm softly pushing her down to the mattress. He moved from underneath her to over her, hovering over her lower half. With a smile, he moved closer to her, and Max's breath quickened. _What's he up to? _Harvey's mouth hovered over her panties. With a look at Max, he smirked, grasping the hem of the fabric with his teeth. He began lifting it up, and she felt an odd breeze. Max's breath stopped altogether.

_Oh, he's in a really playful mood._

The doorbell rang again, three times in a row.

"Oh my fucking God!" Harvey scowled, letting go of the panties and kissing just above Max's panty line before leaning over the bed to grab his shirt as he got off the bed. Walking out of the room, he made his way down the stairs and towards the door, looking back to see Max not in bed. He turned and walked towards the door. He peaked through the hole, huffing in frustration, as the door was unlocked. He swung it open, staring at his intrusion.

"Lieutenant," Harvey said, blocking the door.

Quentin Lowe smiled a Chesire smile at him, fully knowing what Harvey was up to not even a minute ago, "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes."

"No," a voice from behind Harvey said. The man moved out of the way to see that Max had wriggled back into Harvey's Harvard shirt. Harvey also was thankful that Max put on one of Harvey's sweatpants. He didn't know what he would do if she came with just a shirt.

"You must be Lieutenant Lowe," she said, sticking out her hand.

"And you must be the brave Maxine Harris," Quentin responded to her, shaking her hand.

"You're here because…?" Harvey asked, before getting elbowed in the stomach by Max. He looked down just in time to see Max giving him a scolding look. She turned to Lowe, smiling sweetly at him.

"You must have questions, I presume?"

Quentin nodded, "May I come in? I'll be very brief."

Max nodded, shoving Harvey out of the way before moving out of the way herself. She moved towards the couches, where Lowe sat across the couple. Harvey's ankle rested on his opposite knee as his arms stretched over the back of the couch, his mood very frustrated; frustrated with Lowe, and also… other things. The woman sitting next to him kept a hand on his knee, her focus on the officer in front of her.

"Just a few questions, Miss Harris," Lowe said, flipping over a page, "it is Miss Harris, right? Not your father's last name?"

"Yes, but not for long," she smiled, looking at Harvey through the corner of her eye.

Instinctively, Lowe's eyes went to the ring around her finger.

"Wow," the man said, clearly stricken by the large diamond in the middle. He realized that the ring around her finger was a quarter of his yearly income, "congratulations, to the both of you."

"Thank you," she said, "You said quick questions."

"Yes I did," Lowe took out his pen, "Miss Harris, the events today were considered to be a passionate crime. In your years as a lawyer, you haven't accumulated any enemies?"

_Where is this going?_

"No, I've always had clients who were very grateful."

Her mind reeled in realization, remembering why Oliver Klades came after her, "But Harvey-"

"Don't," he whispered, afraid of Max thinking the same thing he was.

She turned to him, his face ashen and angry, "Babe?"

Harvey licked his lips, "A few bad clients. Rival lawyers too. But none that would be vicious."

"Oliver Klades wasn't vicious until he was provoked," Lowe told the couple.

"By the trial?" Max asked.

"By his lawyers."

The couple looked at each other, confusing written all over her face.

"We stopped representing Mister Klades after the trial finished."

Lowe shook his head, "He went to another law firm. McTurner Dennis, I believe-"

"McTurner Dennis?" Harvey's heart jumped into his throat as he asked in disbelief, "would the Dennis part come from Cameron Dennis?"

"Yes, the old district attorney," Lowe look at Harvey, who posture was stiff, "you know him?"

"That son of a bitch," he shot off the couch, running towards his cellphone.

"Harvey," she called out.

"I seem to be lost, Miss Harris," Lowe looked between the couple. Max turned to the officer.

"Max please. Miss Harris was a bubbly woman who certainly wasn't me," she said, looking at her crazy and angry lunatic, "Harvey is familiar with Cameron Dennis. If you really have to know, they aren't close anymore."

"Anymore?" Lowe raised an eyebrow.

Max sighed, leaning in closer of the officer in front of her.

"Harvey used to work for the D.A.'s office," Max told him, "Cameron was his mentor."

Quentin started to put the pieces together, "If Dennis has any bad blood with Harvey-"

"He does. Harvey ruined his career in the D.A.'s office, and when Cameron approached Harvey with an offer to join his firm, Harvey declined with a rather large 'fuck you', if you know what I mean."

She stopped, her eyes widening in realization.

"Max?" The bearded man asked the pale woman in front of him.

"Cameron wanted us to join the firm because he was going to screw us over. Since we would have never gone for it, he went for the alternative."

Lowe picked it up fast, "He used Klades."

"Cameron knew that Oliver was trying to seek revenge," Max said getting up, realizing that Harvey was on the upper level of the apartment, muttering something on the phone, "he must have made it worse. For the love of God, he was adding fuel to the fire. That's why he used Oliver to get past security at the office. He's been there so much, no one would have given it a second thought."

"No, you listen to me," Harvey's voice was loud and powerful, his body against the glass railing, looking directly at the two people on the lower floor, "I've put up with a lot of your bullshit Cameron, but you tell me right now whether or not you took Oliver Klades as a client."

There was a pause.

"Don't you lie to me. I am not to be lied to right now, Cameron."

"Mr. Specter, just to remind you this is abstruction of justice if you continue to have that conversation," Lowe said towards the man on the upper level.

Harvey flipped him the bird.

Lowe's eyebrows shot up just as Max put her hands up in defense.

"Don't think of it. He's angry."

The Lieutenant's lips were in a thin line.

"This isn't a fucking joke, Cameron! Max was shot!"

"Harvey," she pleaded with him, "Babe, hang up the phone."

"The next time I see you, I will kick your ass. Pray to every God out there that I don't kill you."

"Harvey!" Max shouted.

With reluctance, Harvey ended the call, shoving it in his pocket. His breathing was heavy, and his anger got the best of him. Harvey ended up punching a picture frame on the wall, the glass giving a horrible sound as it shattered at his fist.

Max gave a look to Lowe, something along the lines of 'you-need-to-get-the-fuck-out-before-he-ends-up-punching-a-window'. Quickly, he gave a nod before exiting the quiant home. Max sprinted up the stairs as the Lieutenant was leaving, hearing more things break as she went up the stairs. She got to the top, just in time to see Harvey sit on the bed, breathing heavily, with his elbows on his knees as his head was in his hands. His knucles were covered in blood.

"Babe," she said. She stuck her head in the bathroom, grabbing a towel and wetting it, she ended up sitting in front of him on the floor. She reached out to his hands, having them both in front of her. She took the right one, the one that was worse, and began cleaning it.

"He was my mentor," Harvey croaked.

"I know," she whispered.

"How could he do this?" He asked her, his voice pleading.

"People change, Harvey. You need to let him go," Max was carefully checking for glass in his hand.

"But he was my mentor-"

"What did you tell Mike?" She stopped, placing her hands on her lap.

"Max," he reasoned.

She wouldn't let up, "What did you tell Mike when he was defending Trevor?"

The brunette lawyer ran a hand over his face, hiding the pain in his knuckles.

"He was an anchor."

She looked up at him, her lips pressed together.

He threw his hands up in the air.

"Okay, okay, I get it," he gave his hands back to Max, "He's weighing me down. I can't let him weigh me down. But the audacity of that _prick_ trying to get at me by using you... I swear, I could strangle him. No one should ever put their hands on you Max. No one should ever harm someone so amazing and precious like you. I could punch out all his teeth, break his legs, and kick his throat in, and that still wouldn't be enough."

Max smiled, going back to fixing his hands.

"I love you too, Harvey."

* * *

><p><strong><em>This is one of the last chapters of The Art of Philiophobia.<em>**

**_Because..._**

**_The Portrait of Atychiphobia is coming soon!_**

**_If you love Harvey and absolutely adore Max, add me onto your author subscription list, so you won't miss out on any of the action._**

**_Like the name? Hate it? Have something better?_**

**_Let me know. Review!_**

**_xoxo N._**


	35. Love

_**Hey Everyone!**_

_**So this is the end of my story. I feel like I am sending my child off to college, knowing that they might not come back. I feel so sad. I love this story so much, and I've grown attached to Max, which is probably why I am doing the sequel. Now before you read this I wanted everyone to know that this was the ending that I planned for since the very beginning. This exact moment was invisioned in my head, so don't think that this was last minute. This is how The Art of Philiophobia was always going to end, and I'm glad that my brain thinks ahead without me even knowing. **_

**_Anyways, I just wanted to say what I had to before the end came. If you want to keep reading about the adventures of Harvey and Max, don't fret! The sequel will be up soon!_**

**_So, for the last time on TAOP..._**

**_Enjoy. P.S. I do not own Suits_**

* * *

><p>"The idea is to not look vengeful, Harvey. This looks like you are plotting his murder."<p>

Mike sat comfortably in one of the chairs that was facing Harvey's desk, reading over the brunette lawyer's testimony in the case of Oliver Klades. It was a month after the hostage situation as the mid-February snow was slowly cascading down. The Oliver Klades case was going to trial, and Lieutenant Quentin Lowe recieved a statement from both Mr. Specter, and the future Mrs. Specter. The man in question was sitting at his desk, leaning back casually as he was going over a file in his hand.

"I don't give a shit," Harvey said, not looking up, "he attacked my girl. I don't take that lightly, and if that means I look like a monsterous person, then I look like a monsterous person."

Mike shook his head, "Don't worry Harvey. They'll see you as protective and passionately driven to keep the one you love safe."

"You really know how to wrap things in a pretty bow, don't you?" Harvey told him, finally looking up.

"Well I was Valedictorian," the blond said, polishing his nails on the lapels of his suit.

Harvey shook his head, "I just want Oliver, as well as everyone else in this world to know that if they even think of hurting Max, I won't hesitate to destroy them."

"Harsh words," Mike told him.

The other man just shrugged. He wasn't sorry.

"Oliver isn't mentally stable Harvey; you can't blame him."

"No?" Harvey asked sarcastically, "Try me. He shot Max. I don't care if you're fricken Ghandi. You shoot my girl, it's game over."

Mike put his hands up in defence, "Alright, I give."

"Good," the man said, looking back at the paper in his lap.

"What case are you working on? There isn't anything on your docket," Mike knew Harvey's schedule to the T, so his curiousity obviously peaked.

"An old Cameron Dennis case," Harvey said, grabbing another file off the desk.

"Because...?"

"I am trying to find a loophole in any case he's had. If I can get more people to testify against him, hopefully he will get his ass disbarred."

"Out for blood are you?" Mike questioned, his eyebrows raising.

Harvey gave him a 'no-shit' look, "Be happy that's all I'm after."

"Oh, no, I'm not complaining," Mike said, smiling at Harvey before grabbing a file off of his desk as he began looking through the pages.

Mike stopped sifting through the papers to look at Harvey. This was a man who almost nine months ago would spend every night with eithe a blonde or brunette. Maybe even both at the same time. This was a man who nine months ago never showed his soft side, not even to himself. Nine months ago, the thought of marriage wouldn't even cross his mind.

Nine months ago, the old Harvey Specter would laugh at the new Harvey Specter.

"You're getting married, to Max," Mike said solemnly, with him still not believing it.

"I know, I was kind of the one to ask her," Harvey smirked, going back to the document in front of her.

"So... that day," the blonde said, "when Max was taken hostage-"

"What about it?" Harvey said cutting him off completely. He didn't want to be reminded of the events that had happened earlier that day.

"When you were late. What happened? It seemed like you were such in a rush to see her."

Harvey looked at Mike, who in turn pierced his lips together as he raised his eyebrows.

"Mike, it's not important anymore," he said, placing the files on his desk, "shit happened. Things changed. It seems insignificant now, with everything that's happened."

"I guess that would make sense," Mike said as he was getting his cellphone out of his bag, "but you should still do whatever the hell you were going to do. It may not be important now, but it used to be important, and you owe it to yourself to follow through with your actions. If not for yourself, then do it for Max." The younger man of the two got up from his seat to answer his phone as a strawberry blonde woman sauntered into his office. Harvey smirked at the woman, knowing full well what she was about to say.

"Good morning sunshine."

"Shit storm headed for the office," Donna told him nonchalantly.

"Really? You know this how?"

"I'm Donna. I know."

Harvey shook his head, "Subtly bring it to my office."

"Ooh, stealth mode. It's like I was born for this," the woman gasped in sarcasm as she strutted out of the office just as Mike was finishing his conversation.

"...That place is fine, Rach. Anything you pick will be amazing," he paused for a moment, smirking at what his woman was saying on the other line, "yeah, I'll tell her that, okay?"

He paused, "I love you, bye."

Mike shoved the phone back in his pocket as he sat back down in his chair. Looking up, he saw Harvey, who was deep in thought. The powerful lawyer was clearly dileberating something internally as Harvey slowly tapped his pen on the desk. If Mike didn't know any better, he knew that the man in front of him was going to do something absolutely ridiculous, and yet it was absolutely needed.

"Harvey, you on earth?"

The man took a deep breath, "You're right."

"I usually am, but about what?"

The lawyer just smiled, "I might just take your advice."

Harvey threw the file on the desk, "But you might want to take my advice and get the hell out before you are caught in the shit storm."

Mike's brain registered quickly on the situation at hand.

"Well, I wouldn't want to be in the way of that."

"Good, now you better get the hell up, because it's coming this way."

Harvey had never seen Mike shoot out of his chair faster than ever before as the blonde rose his head to look out into the office. Catching sight of the shit storm, he ran out of the office, grabbing his bag as he zoomed out of the office. As the door was swinging shut, a hand grabbed the door handle, and in came the raging bull. The anger that came off of the person was deadly serious. This person was not to be messed with, as they would probably drop kick the shit out of everyone who got in that person's path.

Harvey had to hold his laughter as he saw his little shit storm so angry. It was actually cute when she wasn't angry at him.

"I am going to kill every God damn person who shoves a camera in my face!" Max said, sitting on the couch, grabbing a hold of the tissue box, pulling out the tissues relentlessly. "How the hell did they figure it out? No one was supposed to know we were getting married!" She yelled, pulling more tissue out of the box. "All the fucking paparazzi people can kiss my ass! I am so frustrated with this bullshit!" Max ended up throwing the box across the room as she stood up, pacing around the room. "Why the hell do they even want to know about our lives? We're not that special. No, I take that back, we are special, and there is no reason in the foresaken world that they should plaster us on People's Magazine!"

She stopped in front of Harvey, her arms raised over her head in anger.

"Why are you just standing there!"

He laughed as he forced her arms down, placing his hands at the top of her arms, rubbing them soothingly.

"Stop," he told her sternly, her face going plain as she listened to him.

"Breathe," he said, mimicking deep breaths. She followed his breaths, easily calming down because of this.

"I don't like this crazy Max," he said in a soft voice, "I want _my_ Max back. My confident, sexy, has-her-shit-together, Max. Can I have Max back?"

She nodded, her smirk appearing on her face.

"Good," Harvey said, giving her a quick kiss, before going back to his desk, picking up the file that sat on the glass. Max sat on the arm of one of the couches, running a finger through her hair.

"I just want to go home and hide under the sheets and pray to God that no one ever takes my picture again," the woman said as she huffed in aggrivation. She looked over to her love before scowling at his calm demeanour. "How the hell are you so calm about this? What happened to your 'you-touch-my-girlfriend-and-I'll-beat-the-shit-out-of-you' mantra?"

Harvey smiled as he still looked at the file in front of him, "There are cameras willing to take a picture of every move I make, so charging at one of them would probably look bad on the firm."

He looked up at her then, a serious look on his face.

"And my mantra is actually 'you-touch-my-future-wife-and-I'll-kill-you'."

She laughed, getting off the couch and walking towards him. Standing behind him, she leaned down, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. His hand was on top of hers as she rested her head on his shoulder. Her eyes travelled over the desk, looking at all of the things scattered along the edge. Baseballs, penholders, paper weights... everything she usually typically see when she looks at Harvey's desk. Her eyes fluttered over to the picture frame sitting on his desk. It was the first picture of Harvey and her, when they were at the Bethesda fountain. She smiled at the picture, remembering all those times she had with her bafoon. He was so different then, closed off and afraid. She remembered him. He was cocky, and arrogant, and he didn't care about anyone. She couldn't believe that she slowly got to him. She was always so soft, and she was so caring, she couldn't understand how someone like her could have been with someone like him.

But that was when she realized that they worked because _they weren't the same_.

Harvey was strong on the outside, and soft on the inside. Max had a calming exterior, but she was forceful and passionate on the inside. Harvey got information out of people by using harsh means while Max went for the friendly approach on a person. They were opposites, but they were meant to be together.

He was her Manhattan skyline at night. He was her Breakfast at Tiffany's. He was the most expensive wine she'd ever own. He was the most precious picture on her wall. He was her favourite memory.

He was _hers._

And she loved him just as much as he loved her.

"You know," she said softly, "Mike always asks me why I don't care."

"About?" He asked, very curious.

"You saying it."

"Oh?" Harvey said, turning around, causing Max stand and lean against his desk, facing him as he turned to face her.

"It was because I had a dream."

Harvey's eyebrow rose, "A dream?"

"Yeah, I had it a while ago, and ever since then it's all I dream about," she said, crossing her arms as she looked at the skyline in front of her. The sun was shining as it hit her face softly in the afternoon glow. Harvey couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

"Nothing else?"

She shook her head, "I always dream that dream."

Max collected her thoughts, remembering the dream.

"Remember Karly Klades' trial? The night you came over?"

"After we fought," Harvey said, a pang of guilt in his chest following afterwards.

"Yes," she smiled bittersweetly, "It was the morning after that night, and I was sleeping... and you were awake. It felt so real, like I could honestly feel you taking a piece of my hair and tucking it in behind my ear," she laughed, "I don't know why, but I love remembering that little detail; you tucking my hair back. It made me feel so safe. Anyways, I could hear you breathing, and I could feel you looking at me. All of a sudden, I can hear you. But it's not like you're saying a random thing. I can hear you tell me that you love me," she looked down at her shoes, licking her lips as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"That dream was so real for me that... I guess that's what held me over. That's what made me stay."

She looked up to see Harvey's mind impassive.

The only reason it was impassive is because Harvey was trying to contain every good God damn emotion that ever existed. He was happy, and elated, and estatic, and shocked, and antsy, and everything that gave him butterflies. Harvey couldn't believe what was happening. He couldn't even fathom to understand how amazing he felt at that moment.

She _knew._

Harvey knew that she thought it was a dream, but she subconsciously _knew_ that he loved her because _he told her_.

This woman was his everything. Every moment he lived, he wanted her there right beside him. She was his ray of sunshine. She was his comfort. This woman was the only person in the world who he wanted. This was his major deal; the one that could make him or break him, and it sure did make him. It made him whole, perfect. He was the all mighty, powerful, multimillionaire attorney Harvey Specter, Senior Partner at Pearson Hardman. The only reason he was powerful was because of Maxine Harris, which was the love of his life.

He wasn't afraid anymore.

Not one bit.

"Harvey," his angel sang, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah babe?" He asked her.

She smirked, shaking her head as she gave him a quick kiss.

"I'll be back in a bit, I just have to quickly talk to Jessica about the Joseph-Gunter agreement," she said pulling out her phone, "then I've got to call my dad, see if we can do lunch. Then possibly call an agent to handle our public affairs since apparently, we now need one," Max smiled at Harvey, who was still staring at her.

"I'll be quick," she said walking towards the door. Max swung the door open.

"Hey Max?" Harvey called from his desk, his pen in his hand as he leaned back nonchalantly.

"Yes?" She turned, her hand keeping the door open.

He smiled at her.

"I love you."

Max's heart stopped.

Her mouth slightly parted.

Her eyes watered.

She smiled, biting her lip as she was trying to hold her tears.

"I love you too."

* * *

><p><em><strong>WAHHHHHH! It's done! <strong>_

_**I'm so sad that it's over!**_

_** But at least now we have the sequel. **_

_**Should be up soon, but will be posted before the week's done. **_

_**Don't forget to add me onto your subscription list if you want to know when the sequel's up!**_

_**So, for the final time, review? **_

_**xoxo N.**_


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